Fullmetal Heart
by Edward's Alter Ego
Summary: When everyone thinks the world is at peace, even with wars raging in the country of Amestris, everything falls apart when a new keybearer is discovered. Ed and Al are now faced with new adventures, trials and friendships. AU. No OCs
1. Chapter 1: Dive into the Heart

**So this is another fanfiction created by me and my dear friend Edward Uzumaki (aka Uzu-chan!) This time we bring you *drum rolls* Fullmetal Alchemist and Kingdom Hearts! Hurray! Anyway, this fanfic is completely AU, so if you don't like it, then you can suck it! (In other words, I accept criticism, not bull crap… If you have something to say, say it nicely please. I have emotional problems and I take things way too seriously.)**

**So, let's get things rolling! Here you go! Chapter 1 of Fullmetal Heart.**

**Chapter 1: Dive into the Heart**

Ed lied on his back on a park bench in Central and sucked in a breath of air. It was nice and sunny out and he was enjoying it while he could before the Colonel called him in for some ridiculous mission again. He peeked his eye open and glanced over at his brother who was sitting next to him, a little blue bird sitting on the horn of his armored helmet. He was so still, he almost looked like a statue. "You okay, Al?"

The armor didn't move but a meek voice replied, "Uh-huh! It's so nice out Ed! I hope this is all we have to do today!" Alphonse giggled and shifted his eyes up toward the bird. He wanted to touch it, but he knew it would fly away if he did. "What do you think he's doing?" he thought aloud. Whether it was the bird or Mustang was unknown even to him.

Ed tilted his head, thinking Al was talking about the bird. "He's probably just resting..." he said and stopped, looking up at the sky. His eyes widened slightly and his mouth gaped open. In the sky there was a dark cloud like vortex with an orange colored orb in the center. The wind began to pick up and the sky got darker. "A-Al! What is that!"

The bird flew away as Al leaned forward to get a better look, "I don't know but whatever it is, it doesn't look good! We should get the Colonel!"

Ed nodded and began running to Central HQ, the sky growing darker by the minute. _'Not good. Not good. Not good. Not...GOOD!'_ Ed thought and skidded to a halt. In front of him a small black creature with yellow glowing eyes emerged from the ground. "What the heck is THAT thing!" he yelled just as the black creature jumped for him.

-Meanwhile-

Sora yawned and leaned back in his chair, putting his feet on the dashboard of the Gummi Ship. He was so tired and the dark sky of space around each world always made him sleepy. He closed his eyes when a loud "QUACK!" was heard.

"SORA! Get off of that! You might hit one of the buttons!" Donald Duck hollered at the top of his voice, scolding the boy, "Didn't your mother ever tell you that's unsanitary to put your feet up there anyway! Your shoes are covered in filth!"

Sora immediately sat up straight and lowered his head in embarrassment, "Sorry... I'm just so *yawn* tired..."

"Ah hyuck!" a low voice said from beside Donald. "Don't worry, Sora. We should be arriving at the next world soon," Goofy said, pointing to the map near the dash board. "See here? We should be arriving to "Amestris" any second now. Then you can seal the keyhole."

Sora nodded with a smile but it soon faded as he looked in panic at the map, "Guys look! The world is already falling apart!"

"WHAAT! Lemme see that thing!" Donald screamed as he pushed his way toward the control panel. Sora was right... the world on the map was starting to turn black.

"Oh no! It may already be too late!" Goofy said sadly in a bit of a panic.

The two little chipmunks known as Chip and Dale, came on to the transmission screen and jumped up and down in a panic.

"You shouldn't go near it!"  
"You might be sucked in too!"

* * *

A flash of fire after a loud snap caught the bugger heading for Edward. Al skidded to a halt to see Mustang already on the scene. "What the hell is going on here, Fullmetal?"

"Please sir, this wasn't Ed, I swear! These golem-thingies just came out of nowhere!"

"This isn't alchemy, I tell by how that thing was destroyed. I'll ask again, what happened here, Edward!"

* * *

"But what about-?" Sora began to ask before Donald pushed him away and grabbed the controls.

"No buts about it! We're outta here!"

Suddenly a faint voice echoed through the cockpit: "Stop... keep moving forward... the Fourth Key has awakened..."

"F-FOURTH! What th' heck! Is that you King?"

Sora gasped, "The King...?"

"T-The King?" Goofy sputtered and stood up and saluted. "Your majesty!"

* * *

Ed glared at Roy. "I don't know, Colonel! The sky just got really dark and that thing came out of the ground!" he said just as more heartless appeared, circling the group.

Riza Hawkeye stood next to Mustang, aiming her gun at one of the heartless. "What are these things?" she asked as another one lunged and then shot it in the head, making the thing squeal before it disappeared into thin air.

* * *

The familiar Mouse giggle filled the cockpit, "Yes! It's me! Just letting you know I'm alright!"

"Where are you?" Sora asked immediately.

"Can't say, Sora, but what I just said was true. The Fourth Key is awakening. Your job is to find him and bring him to me. The darkness has found him, which is why his world is starting to fall apart."

Donald glowered, "And how are we supposed to do that without getting caught in the mess of things?"

"That's for you to decide. For now, I would assume Traverse Town will be your next bet!"

Sora blinked, "There again, huh? I guess once we find this new key guy then we head off again, right?"

"Correct! I'm sorry now, but I must go! Take care you three!"

Goofy blinked. "So we're looking for another key bearer?" he asked, looking back at the map. "I hope the fella's okay..."

"He'll be fine!" Sora exclaimed, "If he's a keybearer, he can take care of himself!"

* * *

"I WISH I KNEW!" Mustang screamed as he continued to fire away. Alphonse didn't know what to do... until suddenly the light in his eyes faded and the armor clattered to the ground.

Ed turned around and saw Al fall to the ground. "Alphonse!" he yelled, running over to his brother. "Al! Al! Wake up!" he yelled, but his brother didn't move.

Riza was firing away at the black creatures, looking over to see one sneak up behind Ed. "Edward! Look out!"

Ed froze and tuned to see a heartless lunge at him. His eyes grew wide, thinking this was going to be the end of him until a white light appeared, blinding everyone around. "W-What?"

Roy shielded his eyes for just a second, but when the light was gone, so was Edward. "EDWARD!" He screamed as more and more heartless began to appear around him, Al, and the Lieutenant.

Al suddenly lifted his head, "ED!"

Roy looked at Al in confusion, _Was that flash of light from Alphonse protecting his brother? No... I think that was something else..._ His thoughts were cut off when he noticed the suit of armor sinking into the ground surrounded by darkness, "ALPHONSE!"

"AHHH!" The boy screamed as only his waist up was showing, "COLONEL! HELP!"

"ALPHONSE!" Roy howled again as he dove after the boy.

Riza ran to help Roy, grabbing the boy's other hand. "Alphonse! We're not losing you too!" she yelled, straining to pull the boy back up, but his armor was too heavy and it seemed as if he was being sucked in by a vacuum cleaner. "AL!"

Roy pulled and pulled as hard as he could, but something wanted Alphonse badly. Suddenly, a dark tentacle shot out of the ground and wrapped itself tightly around Roy's arms. It began to pull him in too. "Dammit! Hawkeye, get out of here before it gets you too! HURRY!"

"Colonel! Just let go! I'll be okay!" Alphonse cried, concerned for Mustang's wellbeing now, "I don't want it to get you too!"

* * *

From the window of the Gummi Ship, Sora bit his lip as he watched the world of Amestris fall apart. "We have to hurry, guys!"

"I'm pushing this thing forward as fast as I can!" Donald cried. He was just as concerned as Sora about the Fourth Key Wielder, but was still angry at the boy for annoying him and playing 'backseat driver'.

Goofy saw as they were flying closer that there was not much left of the world and began bitting his nails. "W-We're not gonna make it!"

* * *

Riza shook her head violently. "No, Colonel! I won't leave you!" she cried. She didn't want to lose three people she cared for and be the only one left. She especially didn't want to leave Roy's side after vowing to protect him. She then looked around, seeing other people in the city were being attacked by the black creatures. The people disappeared, a sparkling heart shaped jewel floating off into the sky. Wait, was that their real hearts?

Riza stared wide eyed in fear as the city began to break apart and the debris of it all flying toward the orange orb in the center of the black sky, not noticing the black tentacle wrapping itself around her arms as well.

Alphonse let go of the Colonel and the Lieutenant, but it was no use. With that act, the darkness pulled them all in an instant, leaving Amestris to its destruction.

* * *

Goofy was right. In a final force, the world broke apart and in its place, nothing. Sora slammed his fists on the dash board. With fierce determination he exclaimed, "Alright then! Since that didn't work, we're going to Traverse Town! Let's go find that Key!"

Goofy nodded. "Yeah, maybe Leon will know something about the new key when we arrive."

Sora nodded to his friend and yawned again. Going back to his previous position, he began to drift off. Even Donald didn't yell at him for his feet on the dashboard. Soon, Sora was in a deep sleep...

* * *

Ed was floating in a dark space of nothingness. He opened his eyes to look for something, anything, but he couldn't see a thing. Everything was pitch black. He then looked up, seeing a small white light sparkle above him a an unknown voice speaking. _Don't be afraid. You are destined to open the door. You are the chosen one,_ the voice said, echoing in Ed's ears.

"Who are you?" Ed called, but the light got brighter. When Ed opened his eyes again, he was standing on a platform made entirely of stain glass and in his hand was a weapon of some sorts. It looked like a key. It was red and the hilt of the blade was the Flamel symbol he inherited from his teacher. On the end, hanging on a chain, was his pocket watch. "W-What's this? Alchemy?" he asked and looked around.

Again the black shadow creatures appeared before him and Ed gasped, backing away. _Don't be afraid! FIGHT!_ the voice said.

Ed stopped and swallowed, taking a stance with his new weapon, ready to fight. Hd slashed through each of the heartless, a few scratches on his cheeks when the heartless managed to strike a blow. He then looked, seeing a pathway lead up to another platform. He quickly ran up it and stopped, seeing a light purple door. "Do I go through it?" he wondered out loud. Ed then walked up to the door and tried pushing it open. "It's locked..." he muttered angrily. He then looked at his keyblade. "I wonder if this thing will open it," he said unsure, but something was nudging him in the back of the mind to use it. He then pointed it at the door and a bright white beam shot out of the end of the key and into the keyhole. There was a loud 'click' and the door slowly swung open. "Alright!"

When Ed walked through the door, he saw that he was standing on yet another platform made entirely of stain glass. "Really?" Ed asked frustrated. He then walked forward and stopped, feeling like something was watching him. He looked around then noticed there was something weird about his shadow. It began to move and take a 3D form. Soon, facing him was a shadow Ed with glowing yellow eyes.

"W-What is this?" Ed asked, backing away. The anti-Ed tilted its head and stared at Ed for a moment before getting into a low crouch and lunging straight for him.

Ed gasped as he fell backwards, blocking the anti-Ed's attack with his keyblade. He then swung his blade at the heartless and got to his feet, charging straight for his shadow with fury.

The shadow mimicked his attack and charged as well. The two attacks clashed together, making both figures fall back from the force. "Why you-!" Ed growled, ready to get back up on his feet, but suddenly felt himself sink as if he was being sucked into the floor. "What the-?" he said, looking down to see a black shadow form around him, sucking him in the floor. "G-Gah!"

The anti-Ed just stood there, tilting its head and staring at Ed as he was being sucked into the ground as if it was enjoying this.

Ed struggled, trying to swim back up. Anything to keep himself from being consumed by the darkness, but it was no use. Then the voice appeared in his head again. _Don't be afraid._ Ed, now mostly covered by the shadowy darkness, let himself be sucked in, then everything went black.

**End chapter 1. So what do you think? Yeah, I know, basic Kingdom Hearts world destruction. Same old "dive into the heart" type a thing. Don't worry, it'll get better. n.n Please comment! Chapter 2 will be up soon.**


	2. Chapter 2: Traverse Town

**Hello all!~ welcome to chapter 2 of FMH! Yay! Hope you all enjoy!**

**Chapter 2: Traverse Town**

_In a grassy meadow in a small farm country, a young blonde girl, just about Sora's age was playing with a big black and white dog with a prosthetic limb. As she danced and laughed, Sora grew more and more curious about her._

_"What 'cha doin'?" He asked politely._

_The girl stopped and pushed the bangs out of her eyes. "Huh? Who's there? I don't see anyone."_

_"I'm Sora! I just wanted to know what you're doing!"_

_"Well I'd tell you if you come out from hiding! Come on, this isn't funny!"_

_"I'm not hiding though and I'm not trying to annoy you on purpose."_

_The girl blinked. "Well... I'm just giving Den here some exercise. We can't let him get stiff on us."_

_"I noticed. Where are we anyway?"_

_"Duh! Resembool, of course! Are you stupid or something, Sora?"_

_"Nope, just never been here before. Where is this 'Resembool' though?"_

_"In the Eastern Province of Amestris. I'm guessing you're not from around here."_

_"Not at all! Say... Amestris? I was just heading there with my friends."_

_"Well, you made it." The girl shook her head, "What am I doing? Talking to a disembodied voice from nowhere?"_

_"I told you my name is Sora!"_

_"Uh-huh..." Suddenly, the girl turned her head past the rolling hills and back up towards the sky, "My Grandma Pinako's calling me in for supper. I have to go-"_

_"WAIT! I never got your name!"_

_The girl smiled and replied simply, "Rockbell... Winry Rockbell..."_

* * *

Sora's eyes popped open immediately after that. "What a strange dream..." he said and shook his head.

Sora then pointed off into the distance after his daze. "LOOK! THERE IT IS! JUST LIKE I REMEMBER IT!"

Sure enough, there it was. Traverse Town.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Donald replied, "Let's land this thing, Goofy!"

Goofy nodded. "Roger!" he said, pushing the gummi ship forward toward the familiar town.

* * *

Ed lied against a brick wall, moaning from the enormous headache he had. "I have to stop eating sweets before I go to bed..." he muttered, thinking he was dreaming. He then peeked his eyes open and blinked. "Huh...? Where...am I?" he asked and looked around. The town he was in looked nothing like Central. It was all brightly lit. Much smaller than a city though.

Ed moved his leg to get up, something hitting his foot as he moved. He stopped, seeing the keyblade lay beside him. "You're still here, huh?" he asked, picking up the blade. "Guess it wasn't a dream after all..." he muttered and got up." Might as well look around and figure out where the hell I am. Maybe Al's here too..."

* * *

Sora stumbled off the Gummi Ship, typical of him tripping over his own feet in excitement. "Okay then!" He said as he put his right hand on his left tricep, "To the Fourth Key!"

"Ahem!" Donald cleared his throat in annoyance. He looked at Sora with a stern gaze.

"Uh... but first to Leon, yes? Huh... I didn't think he'd come back here after getting his home back. But I guess the others are looking out for that place."

* * *

Ed walked around finding a few chests that he successfully opened with his keyblade and taking the items inside. "I wonder if I should keep these...They're not mine... I wonder what they are?" he muttered but shrugged, sticking the few potions in his pocket.

He then stopped, noticing someone standing next to a shop, staring at him. Ed shrugged, glaring at the man. _'Well, I am an outsider after all...'_ he thought to himself. _'Maybe he can help me.'_

Ed then walked towards the man and got a better look at his face. He wasn't staring at him in particular, but the weapon he was carrying in his hands. _'Maybe he thinks I'm a threat?'_ "Um...excuse me? Could you tell me where I am?" he asked, hiding the keyblade behind his back.

"So...you're the fourth key," he muttered. His arms were crossed and he was leaning against the wall. He had slightly spiked brown hair and he was wearing leather clothes. On his face was a scar that ran across it in a straight line.

"Huh? I'm the what?" Ed asked confused.

"They'll come after you no matter where you go, as long as you hold the keyblade," the man muttered, closing his eyes, thinking of the time when he found Sora. _'I wonder if I should test him?'_

Ed growled. "Look, buddy! I have no idea what you're talking about! Could you just tell me where I am, please, so I can get back home?" he asked, frustrated at this guy.

* * *

"I'm SOOO bored... and hungry! There aren't even any Heartless around." Sora was getting restless, "When are we gonna find that guy? We don't even know what he looks like!"

"We knew who you were when we found you," Donald replied bluntly, "Stop whining, let's just find Leon!"

* * *

Leon sighed as he stood up straight. "So how well do you know how to use that thing?"

Ed was getting pissed off. This guy was completely ignoring his questions. "What? This? Well...I know I can kill those black creatures with it...and open up locks," he said and looked up at him. How did this guy know what this thing was anyway?

Leon then walked in front of Ed and pulled out his sword. "That's all I need to know..."

Ed's eyes widened slightly and he backed up a bit, holding his blade in front in case he attacked. _'Does this guy want to fight?'_

_

* * *

_

Sora suddenly stopped and turned around. He was already in the Second District when he heard the clang of metal on metal. "What's going on? Is someone fighting back there?"

"Maybe it's Leon!" Donald quacked. He knew how much the Gunblade wielder loved to spar.

* * *

Ed did a back flip as Leon swung his sword at him, landing right in front of a wall. "Sh-!" Ed cursed and ducked as Leon's sword scrapped against the wall. Ed took this opportunity to drop kick him.

Leon fell back surprised and caught himself, only to be smacked in the face with Ed's keyblade. _'Damn...This kid is a lot stronger than Sora was when I first met him...'_ he thought, wiping the blood away from his lip.

"I want some straight answers...Who are you?" Ed demanded.

* * *

"LEON!" Sora cried as he raced through the gates dividing the First and Second Districts. He skidded to a halt and looked around. "Huh? Where are you? Where'd you go?"

Donald sighed. Sora always was bad at using his gut as a source of directions...

* * *

Leon heard Sora's voice and looked in that direction for a moment before turning back to look at the new key bearer.

Ed was slightly shaking and huffing. Leon was a tough opponent. "Why won't you answer me? And why are you attacking me?" he asked, not taking his guard down.

Leon stood up straight. "Hmph...You're definitely strong. That's good. It'll save you from the heartless. But you still have a lot to learn..."

Ed blinked. "Huh?" he asked and gasped. At first the man was standing before him and the next, he was beside him.

Leon whacked him hard in the head, making Ed pass out and fall to the ground. He stared down at him before looking up. "I'm over here, Sora!"

Sora ran into the direction of his friend... and tripped over Edward in the process. "Oof!" He picked himself up and looked at the swordsman, then at the person he tripped over, "Hey Leon! Who's this? And... uh... can you help us? We're looking for a 'Fourth Key'."

Leon smirked. "Good to see you guys again. You just tripped over him, Sora," he said, referring to the fourth key. "I had to knock him out before he caused anymore trouble. Never got his name..."

Sora dropped to his hands and knees and poked Ed's cheek, "Huh... you got him good. How do you know this is him?" His eyes then wandered over to the weapon in Ed's hand. "Oooh! A Keyblade!" That answered his question.

"Ah hyuck! Yup, that sure is him! He has a keybalde," Goofy said, kneeling down next to Sora. "What should we do with him?"

Leon shrugged. "He should be out for awhile. You guys do what you want with him. Either way, it's not safe for him to be out on the streets when the heartless could show up any minute."

"Are you going to come with us?" Sora asked as he picked Edward up in a piggy-back.

Donald shook his head, "I'm sure he has better things to do, right Leon?"

Leon shook his head. "You guys go on without me. I want to stay here for awhile and protect the people of this town. By the way, Cid is here if you need anything for the gummi ship before you leave," he said, pointing to the shop behind him.

Sora nodded. "Okay, we'll check it out. We could always use some spare parts, thanks Leon!"

Leon smiled and nodded. "Take care, you three. Make sure he doesn't get into too much trouble," he said, pointing at Ed.

"We'll try! One Keybarer is enough for this duck!" Donald quacked.

Sora opened the door to the shop to find Cid on the phone.

"What? Yer kiddin'! Heartless back home again? I thought Sora took care of them buggers! Goddammit, why'd you send me and Leon here when all hell's breaking loose there!... Yeah, I get 'cha. Alrighty then Aerith, I'll see ya. Chao." He hung up and turned around to find the original Key bearer. "WELL SHOOT! SORA! Long time no see! What'cha need here, boy?"

"Came to browse and say hi I guess," The boy replied setting Ed down on one of the couches by the fireside, "Is everything okay?"

"Just the usual," The scruffy blonde replied, still chewing on a long toothpick, "Heartless running amok at home. And you? How you doin'?"

"Well... I don't really know. I mean, I was just told by the King to find this guy." Sora pointed to Edward.

Cid squinted and leaned forward to get a better look. "Who, that shorty?"

Ed suddenly snapped his eyes open and began flailing his arms. "WHO ARE YOU CALLING A MOUSY LITTLE PIPSQUEAK YOU CAN'T EVEN SEE WITH A MAGNIFYING GLASS?"

Goofy blinked and stepped back a bit. "Garsh! I though Leon said he would be out for awhile?"

Ed stopped flailing and glared at the people in the room. "Who are you? Where am I?"

Sora laughed at Edward's spazm. He stopped long enough to introduce himself, "I'm Sora, and these are my friends, Donald and Goofy. You're in Traverse Town. We're here 'cause you're the Fourth Key!"

"A Fourth one? Shoot, how many are there?" Cid asked in frustration.

Donald began to count on his fingers, "Well, there's Sora... and then Riku... and Kairi too!"

"Wowee... welp, glad we have one more to destroy all them heartless! I was beginning to worry that you kids would be overrun by them. Now we got us a Fourth! I should call up the gang!"

Ed blinked. "The fourth key? You mean this?" he asked, picking up the keyblade he held in his hand. He was surprised he still had it after being knocked out. It was like the thing was glued to his hand. It hadn't left his side since he was attacked back in Central. _'Central...'_ "Wait...you said this is Traverse Town? I've never heard of it. Where is it exactly? Am I still in Amestris?"

Donald sighed. "No... you're not..."

"Your world was destroyed by the darkness, like mine used to be. You're in a different place now. It was our job as ordered by the King to find you." Sora replied solemnly.

Cid whistled, "Ooh, that's hard. My world used to be in darkness too, I know how it feels to be lost."

Ed's eyes grew wide in shock, looking up at all of their faces to see they weren't lying. "Destroyed? H-How is that possible?" he asked, flashes of the darkness and how they tore apart his home flashed in his mind. "What about the Colonel and the Lieutenant? Or my brother? Is my brother okay!" he asked, looking at all of their faces.

Sora looked from Donald to Goofy, then back to Edward. "I wouldn't know. I would hope so!"

"It's not impossible to survive a world being destroyed," Cid said, "If they have strong hearts, they're out there somewhere!"

"Yeah, that's right!" Donald chimed in.

Ed bit his lip and stared at them before looking to the floor and sighed. "Al's alright then... I know he has a strong heart. Plus I can feel he's still alive out there..." he said and smiled.

Goofy nodded, smiling as well. "That's right! Don't give up hope, uh...Say, we never got your name," he said, tilting his head in question.

"Oh, right...Name's Edward. Edward Elric. You can just call me Ed."

"Edward, huh? But we can call you Ed. Alright, nice to finally get your name!" Sora exclaimed, holding out his hand for a shake.

Cid shook his head, "Look fellas, I appreciate the greetings, new and old, but I still got a business to run here. You gonna buy something or not?"

"Sorry, Cid. Do you have any`projectiles? The heartless ships blew out our first one," Goofy asked the man.

Ed smiled and held out his hand to shake Sora's. "Nice to meet you too..." he said and stopped, looking at Donald and Goofy." So what are you two suppose to be? A dog and a bird?" he questioned, confused by how strange they looked. "You're not chimeras, are you?"

"Yeah, yeah, hold on a sec," Cid replied, wandering into the back of the store.

Donald glared at Edward, "Chimeras! Nuh-uh! I'm just a duck, just a duck!"

"Yeah!... Say what is a chimera?" Sora asked, "Is it a type of heartless?"

Ed blinked. "Not a chimera?" he asked confused. "Then how are you able to talk?" He then looked at Sora. "No, nothing like that. A chimera is more like combining animals together through alchemy. Sometimes they combine humans and animals together too. It's really inhuman and the practice is forbidding in my country. I've run into lots of people who broke that rule, including people in the military..." he muttered and shrugged, sadly thinking of Nina.

Goofy thanked Cid as he disappeared into the back and turned to face Ed. "Well, we're not chimeras. We're just from a different world where dogs and ducks can talk," he said and smiled. "Ah hyuck!"

Cid came back with a big box and set it on the counter. "That'll be 300 munny, boys."

Sora dug into his pocket and slowly counted it out, much to everyone's displeasure.

"Military?" Donald asked Ed, "Is that a big deal in your world?"

Ed nodded to Donald. "Our whole country is run by the military. Ever since Bradley took over as Fuhrer, our country has been into nothing but war..."

Donald took over for paying after Sora shorted Cid out of 150 munny. The boy lowered his head. "Oh... that sucks... it doesn't run your life, does it?"

Ed shook his head. "Heck no! Just because I joined the military doesn't mean I became their dog..." he said and looked to Goofy. "No offense."

Goofy shook his head. "None taken..."

"Sorry! Sorry! Didn't know that was a sensitive subject!" Sora pleaded in his defense, but still with a smile on his face.

Cid grunted, "Well, where're you four gonna go now, eh? Maybe you should head to Radiant Garden and say hi to the others, eh?"

"No no, not yet! We have to take Edward to Master Yen Sid!" Donald exclaimed.

Ed shrugged. "It's fine..." he muttered then looked to Donald. "Yen Sid? Who's he?"

"Yen Sid trained me for a bit, improved my magic and abilities and also taught me Drive forms!" Sora exclaimed, "He made me stronger!"

"He can make you stronger too and tell you more about your keyblade." Donald added.

"Then Yen Sid it is, I guess. I'll be seeing you boys later! I gotta restock those projectiles, you guys cleaned me out." Cid said as he wandered into the back room once again.

Edward grinned. "Really? Well what are we waiting for? Let's get going!" he said, almost flying out the door.

"There he goes. We better hurry before we lose him!" Goofy said, running after Ed.

"QUACK!" Donald exclaimed as he followed suit.

Sora grabbed the heavy package that Cid had left for them and waddled out of the store as fast as he could, "Wait for me, guys!"

**End chapter 2. Yeah, sorry, this one was really long XD Next chapter is Al! Don't miss it! **


	3. Chapter 3: Radiant Gardens

**Hey guys! Here's chapter 3 of Fullmetal Heart! I haven't been getting any reviews, so I don't know if people like it or not… -sadface- Oh well… Here you go!**

**Chapter 3: Radiant Gardens**

"... Huh? Where am I? It's so dark in here... EDWARD! BROTHER! HELLOOO! ANYONE THERE!"

Alphonse was afraid to move. He couldn't see anything and was afraid that if he took a step, he might fall off of something. _Ooh! I wish I wasn't such a chicken by being afraid of the dark! Where am I anyway?_ He pressed up against the wall behind him and an idea struck.

"I can use alchemy to make some light in here!" He clapped his hands together and created a torch on the wall. He looked around and saw he was in a dark corridor.

"Looks like some kind of castle... Where am I?"

Riku sighed as he walked down the corridors of the castle. He frowned, thinking about the bad memories that happened in this castle. The battle between him and Sora, both Sora and Kairi losing their hearts.

"So, Kairi...What are we doing here again?" he asked, his old memories completely erasing his memory of the task at hand.

"The King sent us here to look for the 4th key in case he's not at Traverse Town," she said, walking along side him.

"Oh, right..." Riku muttered and continued walking. He missed hanging out with the King. That mouse was always running off in a hurry on his own. It was impossible to catch him. He then stopped and put a hand in front of Kairi to stop her as well.

"What is it, Riku?" she asked confused.

"There's a light further down the hall. It looks like someone's down that way..." he muttered, unsure if this person was a threat or not.

Al gave a little squeak when he heard voices from down the hall. Someone was out there and he didn't know if they were friend or foe. _Maybe if I stay REALLY still and quiet, they won't notice I'm here..._

Riku and Kairi walked slowly down the hall, Riku's keyblade, way to the dawn in his hands. They got to where the source of light was and stopped. "Guess I was mistaking. It was just this suit of armor holding a torch," he said and smiled. "Let's keep moving, Kairi," he said and began walking again, stopping to see her stare at the armor.

"There's something weird about the way this armor looks. Was this always here?" she asked, noticing that the suit of armor looked different from all the other ones in the castle.

Riku walked back and studied it. "Hmm...Now that you mention it, I don't remember this being here," he said and moved toward it, ready to take a peek inside.

Alphonse whined quietly to himself and if he could cry, he would. _Oh no! If they find my seal-! Oh! What would Ed do!_ The armor began to shake as Riku moved closer to him. _Don't open me up! PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF...!_

Riku stopped for a moment, his body stiffening. _'Why do I get this feeling someone's watching me?'_ he wondered and looked up at the armor's "face."

"What's wrong, Riku?" Kairi asked, shivering a bit. She had that feeling too.

"Nothing..." he muttered and opened up Al's chest plate, looking inside. "Well, there's no one in here..." he said about to close it when something caught his eye. "Wait...There's a marking here. It...looks like it's drawn in blood," he said, slowly reaching forward.

"B-Blood?" Kairi asked, her skin going a bit pale.

"AAAAHHHH! DON'T TOUCH THAT!" Alphonse screamed in panic. He closed himself up in a hurry and began to run. "I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY!"

Riku fell back in surprise the same time Kairi let out a loud shriek. "T-That armor moved!" she cried, covering her mouth with her hands.

"I saw, Kairi! Come on, we can't let it get away! It could be a heartless!" Riku said standing up and chasing after it with his keyblade.

Kairi nodded and summoned her keyblade, Destiny Place, and followed closely behind Riku.

Alphonse made a straight dash towards the outside of where-ever he was. He skidded to a halt as he saw he was standing outside on a forum. He turned around and saw the large castle made of gears and machinery behind him. "WOAH!" Looking back around he saw a small provincial yet modernized town and a gorge directly to the right of it. _Where... Where am I? What is this place? Am I still in Amestris?_

Riku ran outside, seeing the suit of armor straight in front of him. "Stop heartless!" he yelled, jumping to attack and bring his keyblade down on Al's head.

_Heartless?_ Alphonse threw his hands up into the air and deflected the attack. "Wait! You don't understand! I'm not a heartless! I don't want to fight you!" He pushed Riku away and held his hands up in defense. "Please, I just want to find my brother and get out of this place!"

Riku jumped back, seeing that the attack he made had no effect on the suit of armor. "Not a heartless?" he asked confused. "Well, if you're not a heartless then who are you?"

Kairi stood behind Riku, still a little scared of the suit of armor. "And how are you able to move without a body?"

"I-I...!" Al stammered, thinking rapidly before answering. He sighed and lowered his guard. "My name is Alphonse Elric. My older brother is Edward. A long time ago we did something... bad. As a result, Ed lost his right arm and left leg, while I lost my entire body. He attached my soul to this suit of armor so I wouldn't die." The armor shrugged, "I don't know what a heartless is, but I'm not that."

Riku lowered his guard and looked to Kairi.

Kairi slowly came out and tilted her head at Al. "I see... We're so sorry for attacking you. I'm Kairi and this is Riku," she said, making her keyblade disappear and smiled. "How did you end up in this place, Alphonse?"

Al shook his head. "I wish I knew. Last I remember, my brother and I were outside of Central Headquarters waiting for Colonel Mustang when there was this big black hole in the sky, and all these little black things came out of nowhere and attacked us. Then I passed out and woke up in time to find me, the Colonel, and the Lieutenant being sucked into a black hole. I don't know where I am!"

Riku and Kairi looked at each other and frowned, knowing exactly what happened to him. The same thing happened to them long ago. Kairi then turned to look at Al. "Um...Alphonse, I don't know how to say this but...your world was destroyed by the heartless. Those black creatures you saw are called heartless. They go after people's hearts and devour the heart of worlds. You're in a completely different world called Radiant Garden," she said sadly.

Riku was silent, but nodded in agreement. "I don't know about your brother or this Colonel, but it's possible they didn't make it..." he said then was suddenly shoved in the side by Kairi. "Ow!"

"Shhhh! Riku, don't say that! We don't know for sure what happened..."

Al lowered his head and sighed, "I thought something like that happened. I was afraid to think it, but I guess it's true then..." He looked up at the two and began to plead, "But my brother! Do you think Edward is alright!"

Kairi shrugged. "I...don't know. I'm sorry, Al," she said then looked to Riku for help.

"Well, the King sent us out to look for the fourth key. If you like, you could come along with us. Maybe you will find your brother on the way," Riku said, turning his back towards the two.

Kairi smiled widely. Riku may look rough and stubborn, but he was really a nice guy. "Yeah, and maybe the King could help you too."

Light appeared in Alphonse's eyes, "A KING! You know a king? Well okay then! I'm sure we'll find my brother now! Where is this king? How do we get there!"

Riku rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, as of right now, we don't know where the King is..." he said and turned to look back at Al. "But usually he contacts us every once in awhile. In the meantime, you may find your brother if we travel to other worlds."

Kairi nodded. "We may run into Sora, Donald, and Goofy too. They may know how to get in touch with the King."

Alphonse nodded. "Alright. If this gets me one step closer to my brother, I'm ready anytime!"

Riku and Kairi both smiled. "Good. Let's head back to Merlin's," Riku said and motioned for the two to follow.

"Mer...lin's? Like the sorcerer from that sword legend?" Alphonse asked, "The same guy?"

Kairi smiled and winked. "Yup! The one and only!" she said as they walked through the town, passing a moogle on the way.

They finally arrived at a wooden door and Riku knocked. "Hello? Is anyone home?"

"Merlin? Tiffa? Aerith?" Kairi called.

Alphonse looked around the small hideout in awe. It was cluttered, but organized. It looked like no one was there until:

"HYYYAAAHHH!"

Out from the shadows a black-clad bullet launched at Al, knocking him on his back. The girl, Yuffie, jumped back into a mock fight stance. "Ha HAH! Gotcha armor dude!"

"Oooh... what was that...?"

Kairi blinked and gasped in surprise. "Oh! Yuffie wait! He's not a bad guy!" she said, running over to help Al up. "Are you okay?"

Riku sighed and shook his head then looked up at Yuffie. "Where's Merlin?"

Yuffie laughed, "I know he's not bad! Just messing around!" She put one hand on her hip and the other under her lip, "As for the old coot, I don't know where he ran off to. He should be around. Probably buying sea salt ice cream."

Alphonse sat up and looked at Yuffie. "So he's busy somewhere then. That's okay, but... who are you?"

"I'm Yuffie Kisaragi, world class thief and ninja! Oops, I guess I shouldn't have said that aloud... forget that last part!"

"Well Yuffie, it's nice to meet you! I'm Alphonse Elric."

Riku shrugged. "Whatever. Just tell him we need him once he gets back," he said, ready to walk inside when suddenly a puff of smoke appeared and an elderly man with a long beard, wearing a blue cloak stood beside Alphonse. "My goodness, I need to watch where I appear next time. I almost ran into this knight in shining armor," he said, adjusting his glasses to get a closer look at Al.

"Oh, there you are Merlin!" Kairi said and waved. "We were looking for you. The search for the fourth key failed, but we found someone else instead," she said, motioning toward Al.

"I figured as much. I didn't think the fourth key would be in this town anyway. I would've sensed his presence," Merlin said, looking at Kairi, then looked back at Alphonse. "And who might you be?"

If armor could blush it would. _Knight in shining armor? I'm flattered!_ "Uh, I'm Alphonse, Alphonse Elric. I'm from Amestris. Sorry sir, but I'm not a knight. I'm fourteen."

"Fourteen! In that thing? No way!" Yuffie exclaimed. She then began to climb on Alphonse, much to his protest.

"Hey! Wait! Stop!"

Yuffie grabbed his helmet and took it off, "A-HA! EEEKK! HE'S EMPTY!"

"Oh no, not this again... AND GIVE ME BACK MY HEAD!"

Riku shrugged. "He's a soul possessing a suit of armor, Yuffie. Stop using the poor kid as a jungle gym," he muttered.

Merlin laughed. He wasn't all too surprised by Al's armor being empty. He had seen lots of strange things in his time being a wizard and all. "You're from Amestris, you say? Perhaps you know the fourth keybearer then? The King told me he was from your world."

Al took his head back from Yuffie as she jumped off of him and shook it in dismay. "No, I don't even know what you're talking about, sorry."

"Well, shoot! It's okay though, we don't blame you for not knowing anything!" Yuffie exclaimed, patting her hand on his back. "The 'key' we're talking about isn't literally a key. It's a weapon used to banish heartless!"

Riku nodded to Al and took out his keyblade. "The weapon destroys heartless, but it also attracts them, because the wielder of the keyblade has a strong heart. And hearts are what the heartless are after..."

"That's why your world was destroyed. They were after the wielder of the fourth keyblade," Kairi said sadly.

"Ah well, enough of this talk. We don't want to upset the boy anymore than he already is," Merlin said, walking in his house. "Since I have no use for you two here, I've prepared a gummi ship so you may travel to other worlds."

Kairi's eyes brightened. "Really? So we're still searching for the new keybearer?"

"Yes, and you may find Sora, Donald, and Goofy as well. They might know something about the Key," Merlin said and smiled.

Alphonse was excited. He didn't know what a Gummi Ship was, but he really wanted to see other worlds! But... he felt as if something was missing. Not his brother, no he already knew that. He just felt... unarmed. "Umm... Mr. Merlin? Before we go... can I have like... something to fight off heartless with? I don't think my alchemy would be enough."

"Al...che... my?" Yuffie asked herself.

"Oh dear me, I forgot!" Merlin said, slapping a hand to his face. He then did a couple of swishes with his wand and a blue flash of light appeared before Al. When the light disappeared, a blue sword floated in front of him.

"And other thing..." Merlin said, swishing his wand again. A red orb appeared and floated into Al's sword. "That there is magic. The red orb is fire. Just concentrate your energy into the sword and you'll be able to use it. You'll also learn other magic on your journey," he said and smiled.

"Wow, Al! That's so cool!" Kairi said, looking at Al's sword.

Alphonse looked at it in awe. "It _is_ cool! Thanks so much! I can already feel it amplifying my alchemic power! I can't wait to use it on those nasty heartless!"

Yuffie giggled, "Aw shucks, you're so funny Al!"

"It's no problem at all my dear boy!" Merlin exclaimed happily. "Oh, and one more thing." he said, adding a power to Kairi and Riku's blades. "The three of you will be able to fight together and use the Trinity Limit."

"Sweet!" Riku said, swinging his blade.

"Alright. Alright, now. You should get going. The gummi ship is right outside. Good luck on your journey!"

"Thank you, Merlin," Kairi said and bowed, Riku just nodding in appreciation.

"Thank you very much!" Alphonse repeated again. He didn't know how else to show his appreciation. Once they were all out side he stopped and had to ask the burning question:

"Where to now?"

**End chapter 3. Hope you guys like! And please tell me what you think! What I said in the first chapter meant that I don't accept trolling. Some guy made me really upset in my FMA/Soul Eater story and that's why I haven't updated in awhile.**


	4. Chapter 4: Travel to Another World

**OMG! I actually got a review from someone other than my friends! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much! –giggles-**

**Ed: Are you going to post chapter four already?**

**Me: Oh, yeah…right *ahem* Anyway, here is chapter 4! And keep those reviews coming! =D**

**Chapter 4: Travel to another world**

Kairi and Riku got to the gummi ship and got inside. "Hmm...this is a bit bigger than the one Donald and Goofy have," Kairi said, taking a seat next to the driver, Riku.

"We should head to Disney Castle. Maybe Queen Minnie has an idea where the King is, or if she heard anything about the fourth key." Riku said, pulling some levers and switches. "Strap in..."

Alphonse nodded. He sat in a fairly large seat and did the buckle. It was a simple concept to something he had never seen before. "So we're going to another castle, huh? Well, I'm ready when you guys are! The sooner we get there, the sooner I get to see my brother!"

"All systems go!" Kairi said, checking to make sure there was nothing wrong with the ship.

"Roger," Riku said, lifting the ship off the ground. It whizzed and hummed, rocking back and forth a bit, until it faced the sky and took off at lightning speed, passing the atmosphere and into the starry sky.

Alphonse braced himself. He gripped the arm rests of the seats for dear life and once they entered the Plane of Existence, he sat there in awe. He had never seen so many stars in his entire life. He unbuckled and wandered from window to window. "Are we really in space! This is so awesome! I wish Ed could see this! I never would have imagined people could actually launch into space successfully! It's amazing!" This jabbering went on a few minutes more before taking his seat again. "Wow..."

Kairi giggled. "Yup, we're truly in space. It was hard to believe my first time too." She then turned to look out the window. "See each of those stars? Everyone of them is a different world. They all have their own special shine."

"Until the heartless devour the world, then the star goes out..." Riku muttered, keeping his eyes forward.

Kairi just glared at Riku. _'Did he always have to be so negative?"_

Alphonse looked over at Riku in confusion and worry. "Umm... is it possible for a world to get its heart back? And same with heartless, do those hearts go back home too?"

Kairi smiled widely at Alphonse. "Oh yes! Our world was devoured by darkness once, but Sora, Riku, and I defeated the darkness and restored the worlds back to their original states."

Riku nodded. "But for some reason the darkness returned, even after closing the door to light."

"Door to Light, huh?" Alphonse thought aloud, "Sounds like something worth checking out if it means getting my home back."

Riku just shrugged and pushed the craft ahead, while Kairi was nodding and smiling, reassuring Al everything will be alright.

Alphonse sighed and rested his chin on his hand. He hoped this bump in the road didn't interfere with him and his brother getting their bodies back. _I wonder how the others are too... all our friends... did they make it out okay?_ If he had a heart, it would have lurched. _A-And Winry! Ooh, I hope she's okay!_ The armor began to shake in nervousness.

"We're there!" Riku said, pointing ahead. "Disney Castle!" he said as a little planet came into view. Sure enough, there it was.

Al's eyes sparkled. "It's so PRETTY! Lookit all the colors!" He had never seen anything like it. Especially the fact that it was a castle. He was really impressed by that.

Kairi smiled. "It is beautiful isn't it? You should see some of the other worlds too."

"Alright, strap in you guys. I'm gonna land this thing..." Riku said, pushing the gears forward as the gummi ship made a whining noise and began to enter the atmosphere.

Alphonse nodded and took his seat. He didn't need to worry about head rush or an upset stomach, but he still took safety measures out of habit. He twiddled his gloved hands and looked at the nearing world again. "Boy, if Brother could see this..."

"I'm sure he'll see something like this soon..." Kairi said, smiling. "You two will meet up again in no time, I know it!"

Riku slowly eased the ship onto the ground and turned off the engines, opening the door to the outside world. "We're here! Let's find Queen Minnie as soon as possible," he said, unbuckling his seat belt and heading on outside.

* * *

Goofy finally caught up to Ed, telling him which direction the gummi ship was in.

"Gummi ship? Is that how you get to other worlds?" Ed asked, blinking in confusion. At first he thought a sea ship, but when they got closer, he was very mistaken. "No way! Are we really going into space?" he asked in disbelief. No one in his world ever successfully went into outer space. He had only heard stories about it in fairy tales and science fiction.

"Ah hyuck! Yup! Just as soon as we fix the cannon on the ship we can leave."

Donald came back to the ship without problem, but Sora could barely breathe. He set down the box and then collapsed alongside it. Donald let out a sigh.

"I'm okay! Really! Just... tired..."

"Whatever. I'm fixing the ship. Goofy, you helping?"

Goofy nooded. "Uh huh! And as soon as we get it fixed, the sooner we can go see Yen Sid," he said, picking up the box beside Sora.

Ed was out of sight in an instant, but a second later, you could see him on top of the ship, examining it. "WOW! This is so cool! How does it work? Is it propelled by rockets, or do you use something else? How many passengers can fit in this thing?" Ed's questions went on and on as he moved from one section of the ship to another.

Sora sweat dropped with a sheepish smile, "I have NO idea what you're saying, Ed. Slow down!"

"It's alright, just let him spaz," Donald sighed. He took out his wand and flicked it at the box. The pieces magically assembled together and the duck placed it carefully on the side of the ship with ease.

Ed stopped examining the ship and gasped, seeing the pieces float toward the ship and assemble themselves. Ed's eyes grew wide and bugged out of his head as if he hadn't seen something this weird already. "Whoa..." was all he could say.

Sora laughed and put his hands in his pockets, "Yup! That's magic for you!"

"That was the Aero spell at work!" Donald replied happily, "And there's more to learn than that!"

Ed jumped down and blinked. "Magic? There's no such thing!" he said, in denial even at what he just saw.

"Well, it's very real in other worlds, There's plenty more spells where that came from." Goofy said, smiling as he circled the ship to make sure everything was in place.

"Well, if I'm going to learn stuff like that, then we should get going!" he said, pointing to the ship.

Goofy got inside the ship and started checking all the controls. "Everything looks good. All systems are a go!" he said, letting out a "Ah hyuck!" at the end.

"WOO-HOO!" Sora cheered as he bounced into the Gummi Ship.

Donald had to push an excited Edward in and into his seat. "Buckle up now, you don't want to lose your lunch in this thing."

"Eww... I'm NOT cleaning that up if it happens!" Sora grimaced.

Ed glared at Donald for shoving, but immediately sat down and buckled up. "So how fast does this thing go, exactly?" he asked, taking a peek out the window since they weren't off the ground yet.

"Pretty darn fast," Sora replied simply, taking his seat as well, "But after we're airborne it'll be smooth sailing so you don't have to sit down the whole time."

Donald took his spot in the co-pilot's seat. "Ready Goofy?"

Ed shrugged. "Heh...Do you have a paper bag just in case?" he asked, his excitement making his stomach feel weird.

Goofy took a paper bag out of the glove department and handed it to Ed before looking to Donald. "Ready whenever you are! Ah hyuck!"

Sora leapt out of his chair and pressed the lift off button with great enthusiasm, "BLAST OFF!"

... Big mistake. As the ship began to leave the world, he flew into the back wall of the cabin, unscathed however. He pumped his fists in the air, "WOO HOO! YEAH HAHAHA!"

While Sora was enjoying himself, Ed's stomach did a sudden flip flop as the gummi ship rocked and zoomed out of the atmosphere.

Once they entered the dark starry sky and all the turbulence disappeared, Goofy turned to the boys and smiled. "Okay, you can unbuckle your seat belts now!" he said, even though Sora was already out of his seat.

In response to Goofy, Ed took a slight glance out the window before heaving into the brown paper bag. While Al was seeing pretty colors, Ed was seeing a whole different set of colors.

When the ship leveled, Sora landed flat on his face. He sprung back up though as if nothing happened. "I love that part!"

"SORA! YOU BROKE YOUR NOSE AGAIN!" Donald scolded him as blood trickled from the boy's nose.

"Oops! Curaga~!"

Ed took his head out of the bag and grimaced. "I hope that doesn't happen every time..." he muttered and looked to Sora, raising an eyebrow like he was crazy. "Do you enjoy getting smacked around by the ship?" he asked.

"I enjoy the adrenaline rush," Sora said the magic he cast healed him right up and he shrugged. "It's like a roller coaster, you know? With my job, you've got to take all the fun you can get."

"Hey now, you still have fun with us!" Donald protested with a smile.

Ed shrugged at Sora's comment. He didn't even know what a roller coaster was to begin with. "Uh huh... Whatever," he said and attempted to look out the window again. "WOW!" he said, finally seeing what was outside. "It's...AMAZING!"

"Ah hyuck! Yup! We're in outer space now. You'll be seeing this more often now that you're a key bearer," Goofy said, flicking a few switches.

Ed blinked. "Huh? More often? I thought we were going to find my brother and return my home to normal?"

"Well, that too. But it's also your job to protect other worlds from the heartless. Like Sora!"

"Screw that!" Ed muttered. "I'm finding my brother then we're outta here!"

Sora frowned, lowering his head and flexing his hands into fists. "I wish it was that simple, Ed. I just wanted to get my friends back and go home too, but I'm still out here trying to find them. We were going to travel together too, and we got lost." He looked up with a forlorn smile, "But that doesn't change the fact that I still have a duty as master of the keyblade."

Ed clenched his fists as well. "Damn...It figures. Every time I think my brother and I find peace, something always gets in the way to make our lives miserable again..." he muttered, placing his automail hand on the window.

"Aw, don't worry, Ed. You'll find your brother..." Goofy said, reassuring the boy. "Just like Sora will find Riku and Kairi again."

Sora grinned, "Which is why I can keep on smiling! We'll have fun on the way too, so don't be such a sour puss!" As he said it, he stuck his fingers in the sides of Ed's mouth and forced a smile by tugging on his cheeks.

Donald laughed and began to tickle the alchemist for a smile as well.

"GAH!" Ed yelled as Sora pulled on his cheeks then started giggling when Donald tickled him with his feathers, just as Goofy joined in on the fun and ruffled his hair. "Nyu! Shtop! Tat ticklesh!" Ed said as Sora continued to pull his cheeks, laughing as he fell over onto the floor.

"There you see? No frowns on this ship! Ah hyuck!"

Sora and Donald too laughed and eventually everyone was lying on the floor, worn out but still smiling. "See? That wasn't so bad, was it Ed?"

"Yup!" Donald quacked, "It sure was fun!"

Ed nodded and sat up, smiling a bit. "Yeah, you're right... It's like what Al and I always say. We won't give up and we'll keep moving forward! If obstacles stop us, then we'll find another way!"

"That's the spirit!" Goofy said happily. "And look! It looks like we're almost there!" he said, pointing to the map where Yen Sid lived.

Sora's eyes lit up and he jumped to his feet. "Oh right! Lookit!" He pointed out onto the horizon towards the Mysterious Tower.

"Yup! That's our stop!" Donald chuckled, "Ed finally gets to learn about the keyblade!"

"Huh...So that's where the sorcerer lives..." Ed said, looking out the window as he strapped in again.

Goofy handed the boy another bag, just in case he got sick again when they landed.

"Yeah... just be prepared to walk up a bunch of stairs though..." Sora sweat dropped with a sheepish smile as he too strapped in. This time, he wasn't getting out of his seat.

Ed shrugged. "Well...I only have one leg to worry about..." he muttered, since his left leg was fake.

"Even with one leg, you'll get worn out, fast." Sora laughed, "It's quite the hike."

"Sora, don't push it on him," Donald warned the boy.

Ed rolled his eyes. "Whatever... Traveling for four years with my brother toughened me out. I'm sure I can handle it..." he said as the ship went through turbulence. Ed blinked and sunk in his seat, feeling sick again. After they landed, Ed heaved in the bag once more. "Ugh...except, it didn't toughen me out for THAT!"

Sora laughed and patted Ed on the back, "Don't worry, you'll get used to it~!"

"Yeah, Sora used to blow chunks all the time too," Donald said, disgusted.

Ed groaned and stood up shakily. "Okay, I'm ready to go..." he said, walking out of the ship.

Sora went under Ed's arm to support him, "Don't push yourself. We've got a motto on this ship:"

" 'All for one and One for all!' " Donald chimed for him.

The group looked up at the tall tower. The last time they were there, Sora just woke up from a year-long nap. Now, it was Ed's turn to meet the man who had trained King Mickey: Yen Sid.

**End of chapter 4! Hope you guys like! **


	5. Chapter 5: The Mysterious Tower

**Hey guys! Here is chapter 5! Sorry I took so long to update. Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 5: The Mysterious Tower**

Sora went under Ed's arm to support him, "Don't push yourself. We've got a motto on this ship:"

" 'All for one and One for all!' " Donald chimed for him.

The group looked up at the tall tower. The last time they were there, Sora just woke up from a year-long nap. Now, it was Ed's turn to meet the man who had trained King Mickey: Yen Sid.

Ed smiled at their motto. "Hmm...Kind of reminds me of my teacher's term 'All is One and One is All..." he said as they approached the tower. "Wow, you're right! This place is huge!"

"Ah hyuck! Yup! Also, be ready in case any heartless appear!" Goofy said, holding out his shield.

"So those things can appear ANYWHERE?" Ed asked in disbelief.

"Anywhere," Sora repeated with a nod, "Even when we lock a world. The only thing is though, when that's the case, they can't take it over then. It's a bit complicated."

Donald shrugged, "We may fight heartless all the time, but we still don't understand them. Even the guy who discovered them didn't."

Ed sighed. "Great... That means, once we restore my home, those things will still attack harmless people?"

"Sadly, yes..." Goofy said as they walked up to the front door.

Sora grabbed the large handles to the wooden entrance and tugged on them with all his might. They finally managed to creak open after he took a backwards dive into the wet grass.

"I get the feeling we should have told Master Yen Sid we were coming before hand..." Donald mumbled.

"He probably already knows," Sora said, standing up and wiping himself off, "He pretty much knows everything!"

Ed blinked and shrugged. "Oh c'mon! This guy can't be that tough and scary!" he said and marched up to the doors. He then tugged hard on the doors until they opened all the way. "C'mon guys! What are you doing?" he waved and walked inside.

"Gwarsh! Ed don't go rushing into things!" Goofy yelled, but the boy already disappeared into the tower.

Sora summoned his keyblade and looked over at his friends, "It's now or never anyway, guys! Let's go!" He then was the second one in.

"Oh boy..." Donald sighed as he scratched the back of his head with his wand.

Goofy nodded and ran inside after them.

Inside, Ed already had his keyblade summoned and he was surrounded by shadow heartless. "Dammit! Is this some sort of trap or something?" Ed growled, whacking one of the heartless away.

"They appear in Yen Sid's castle too!" Goofy said and charged through a bunch of heartless.

"See? I told you so!" Sora said, part of the melee as well.

Donald cast some thunder spells at the surrounding heartless to clear a path for the boys, "We gotta keep moving! Ignore the small fry!"

Ed growled as he ducked from an incoming attack from a heartless and spun around, slicing it in half. As soon as the heartless disappeared, Ed bent over and panted. "Man, I must be more out of shape than I thought..."

"It's also a new experience for you. You're probably just worn out because you're not use to it yet," Goofy said and chuckled. "C'mon! Let's get to Yen Sid before more heartless appear!" he said, pointing to the large stair case.

* * *

"I hate stairs!" Sora whined as he and the others were only on the third flight of the magical staircase. He was swinging his keyblade lazily as one or two Shadows would appear at a time.

Donald was panting as well, "Why couldn't Master Yen Sid live in a castle like everyone else...?"

"BECAUSE HE'S STUPID!" Sora huffed in frustration.

"Didn't think you would talk about your master like that..." Ed mumbled as he collapsed at the top of the stairs. "Ugh... Can we take a break, PLEASE?"

"Ah hyuck! I thought you said you'll be fine?" Goofy asked, walking up beside Ed.

"See? I told you even with automail this would be tough!" Sora said in an 'I-told-you-so' tone.

Donald became frustrated with the bickering boys and used the last of his magic for a Curaga spell to relieve them of their fatigue. "Come on now, we're more than half way there! Let's go!"

Ed blinked, realizing he didn't feel as exhausted as he did before. "Yeah, yeah, yeah..." he muttered and got up.

A few minutes later the group finally made it to the top. "You know, remind me to suggest to this Yen Sid guy to put in some elevators!"

"Sounds like a plan," Donald huffed. He knocked on the door and plopped back onto his rear.

"Come in," came a hollow and deep voice of an older gentleman.

Sora opened the doors and saw Yen Sid, not at his desk, but standing up and looking out the window of his study. He turned and saw the group. Despite the stern look on his face, he smiled, filling the room with a warm energy. "Oh, Sora. I had a feeling it was you. And it's nice to meet you, Fullmetal Alchemist Edward Elric. I've been waiting."

Ed suddenly stood up straight as the man spoke. Something about him seemed so powerful. "H-How did you know my name?" he asked, surprised.

"Master Yen Sid knows everything!" Goofy chuckled.

Yen Sid chuckled and walked over to Edward, "I know why you're here too of course. You want training with the keyblade."

"Yeah, and magic. He wants to know magic too," Sora added, shoving his hands in his pockets.

The wizard was a bit surprised, "Even though you have said on many an occasion that it doesn't exist?" Again he chuckled.

"I think we proved him wrong though," Donald added with a smile.

Ed shrugged. "Well, I still don't believe it unless I can do it myself..." he said with a bit of a blush in his cheeks.

"Then let's take care of that, shall we?" Yen Sid suggested, "But first, a lesson in Heartless."

"Right! He still doesn't know what it means to be a keybearer!" Sora chimed!

The wizard nodded and opened a large tome on his desk. An image of a Shadow danced on top of the pages, "Heartless are beings of darkness which manifest in two forms, 'Pureblood' and 'Emblem'. While most Heartless are in fact manifest hearts, they behave entirely devoid of emotion, and were thus named 'Heartless'. This Shadow is an example of a Pureblood. They are natural Heartless, born from the darkness in people's hearts." He then turned the page and a Soldier took the place of the Shadow, "This is a Soldier, an Emblem Heartless. Emblem Heartless were originally created from machines that reproduce the process of a heart being consumed by darkness. Afterward, stolen hearts can become Emblems. They have more varied shapes, colors, and are branded with a symbol to differentiate them from the Pureblood ones. They are more common on the worlds within the Realm of Light, and usually mimic the shape of creatures or objects within that world."

Ed blinked as he watched the heartless dance on the page. "I see..." he muttered and shrugged. "So humans can become heartless?" he asked and shuttered, thinking of the people back home that most likely lost their hearts.

Yen Sid nodded, "That is generally how they are made. Once the world lived in harmony and there were no Heartless, but things changed long ago." He then turned the page and a keyblade danced on the pages, "So, now to the true nature of your visit. It is still unclear on the origins of the Keyblade, but their masters are always ones of strong heart. Though also a weapon for fighting Heartless, the main power of the Keyblade, is the ability to seal or open the barriers between worlds, as well as to 'lock' a world's Keyhole, preventing the Heartless from attacking that world's heart. As an offset of this ability, the Keyblade can also be used to lock or unlock any lock, allowing the user to access any sealed interior, whether it be a locked room, gate, or treasure chest. The Keyblade also has a special power that only lets a chosen wielder hold it."

Ed nodded. "I remember opening some chests in Traverse Town..." he muttered and blinked. "Oh! That reminds me! I forgot to give these things to Cid!" he said and took some potions out of his pocket.

Goofy chuckled. "Oh you can keep those! You use them to heal yourself in battles when you're running low on energy," he said and smiled. "It would've been useful for the journey up here."

Ed gawked. "Damn, I wish I knew that sooner..." he muttered and looked to Yen Sid. "Okay, so I kind of get it... What else?"

"Well... there is one more enemy that you should probably know of, but I'm not sure..." Yen Sid said in deep thought.

Sora blinked, "You mean Nobodies, right? I thought we got rid of them all."

"Perhaps not, but even so, Edward should know of them." He then flipped through the pages and a white creature danced on top of the page. Its mouth was that of a zipper and emblazoned on its chest was an upside-down heart. "This is a Dusk, an example of a Nobody. A Nobody is what is left behind by those whose hearts have been consumed by Heartless and are made of body _and_ soul. Those with the strongest wills manage to retain human forms (under special circumstances, sometimes the Nobody is formed with some slight changes to their appearance,) while the rest possess malformed, barely humanoid appearances; such examples are this one. Therefore, the more humanoid a Nobody, the more powerful it is. This is opposite the nature of the Heartless, whose form is more monstrous the stronger the original heart is. However, they are still incapable of feeling real emotions as they lack a heart. On the other hand, Nobodies manage to keep their memories of their former lives, but unusual Nobodies lack memories of their former selves. Through these memories, Nobodies are able to remember what it was like to have emotions, thus allowing them to respond correctly to specific situations. Despite their lack of emotions, Nobodies are able to think for themselves and attack with definite planning, which makes them more dangerous than any Heartless."

Ed shrugged. "Nobodies, huh?" he asked, staring at the thing dancing on the page. "I haven't seen these creatures yet..." he said but shrugged. Just looking at them gave him a bad feeling.

"I hope you don't! I mean, the Organization was really strong!" Sora sighed in exhaustion.

Donald looked at Yen Sid in concern, "But yeah, I thought we destroyed them all."

"I am not sure," The wizard replied, "As there are still Heartless in our worlds, there might still be Nobodies."

Ed frowned. "I hope I don't have to encounter any..." he muttered and looked at Yen Sid. "So...is there anything else I need to know before we move on to the magic?"

"That you reek of sweat and puke..." Sora said, holding his nose.

Donald smacked the boy upside the head, "You don't say those things out loud!"

"But it's true!"

Yen Sid laughed, "Perhaps you should pay a visit to the good fairies down the hall. I'm sure they can fix your predicament."

Ed gawked at Sora. "You don't smell any better!" he yelled and turned to Yen Sid. "Three good fairies?" he asked confused. "Uh, sure...Thanks, Gramps."

"You address him as Master Yen Sid!" Goofy said, standing up straight as if he was in the army.

Yen Sid sighed, "I am fully aware of your disrespect, Edward. You are most welcome nonetheless."

"You're really just going to let him get away with that?" Sora asked sheepishly.

"There's nothing I can do otherwise."

Ed grinned. "That's right! That's because I'm a key bearer! HAHAHA!" he said, laughing as he walked down the hall.

Goofy shrugged. "Sora's a key bearer too..." he mumbled. In the back of his mind he was also thinking that Sora was a lot nicer too.

"No, it's because... never mind..." Yen Sid sighed. He decided not to press the matter further. He turned to Sora, "Go with him. I bet those kind fairies are wondering how you are."

Sora nodded, "Yeah, I want to see Flora, Fauna, and Meriwether too! I want to tell them everything!"

"And I'm going to go to keep Edward in line..." Donald grumbled in frustration.

When Ed opened the door down the hallway, there were three women crowded around what seemed like a dress.

"No, I'm telling you, it should be pink!"

"Well, I say it should be blue!"

"Well, I'm fine with whatever color you guys choose."

Ed blinked as he watched the three. "U-Um, excuse me?" he asked, shrugging as Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked in behind him.

"Oh! Don't look now, girls, but we have some guests!" said the woman in the green dress.

"Oh my! You must be the fourth key bearer Yen Sid was talking about!" the one in pink said.

"And Sora, Donald, and Goofy are here too!" said the blue one, jumping up and down with joy.

"Hi ladies! It's good to see you again!" Sora said politely, bowing slightly.

Donald snickered, "Fighting over color schemes again? What's it for this time?"

"Princess Aurora's new dress!" said the blue one. "And I still think it should be blue!"

"Oh! Never mind that, it can wait! We have a new hero to attend to!" the pink one said.

Ed blushed. "Hero?" he asked as the three walked closer to him. He noticed they were much shorter than him which made him smile.

"I'm Flora. This here is Fauna and Meriwether."

"How do you do?" Fauna asked and took the end of Ed's coat. "Well these clothes will never do! They're so shredded and worn out! Not suited for fighting heartless."

Ed shrugged. "Does it matter? I did pretty well on the stairs back there..."

"Oh, but you need special garments to use magic, dear! Especially if you want to use drive forms," Flora said and smiled.

"Drive what?"

"Drive forms!" Sora exclailmed, "A Drive Form is a special ability that allows one to transform into stronger forms by using a friend's power. Drive Forms also allow you to use different, more powerful attacks and combos like, dual Keyblade wielding, gliding, or to use abilities that couldn't normally be used before. Like, I can do, uh... 5 drives already!"

"Not to mention the ones we use in worlds like Atlantica and Halloween Town, but those are different circumstances." Donald added.

"Wow...interesting...I guess..." Ed muttered, blinking.

"Oh it is!" Meriwether said and brought out her wand, flicking it towards Ed. Suddenly his outfit remained the same but turned blue.

"Oh, not this again!" Flora said and flicked her wand as well. Ed's outfit then turned pink.

"PINK?" Ed yelled in horror.

"Of course he wouldn't like pink! He's a boy!" Fauna said and giggled.

Sora held his breath to stifle a snicker. "But only real men wear pink~..."

"Oh brother..." Donald sighed, remembering what Sora was talking about. Before they all got separated, Sora and Riku decided to play Truth or Dare. Riku, being the 'brave' one, took dare and Sora... well... let's just say Kairi was not impressed.

Goofy chuckled out loud, knowing what Sora was talking about.

Ed just glared, obviously not amused. "Is this going to take all day?" Ed growled. This surprised the women a bit.

"Oh, now girls, let's not do this again. Together, alright?" Flora asked and the other three nodded. On the count of three, the three of them flicked their wands and Ed's outfit looked the same, only his red coat was gone and his black jacket with the white outlining was longer like his red coat and his belt wrapped around not only his waist, but around the black coat too. On the back was his flamel symbol, but in red.

"Wow...Not bad..." Ed said, looking at himself.

"Could you bring out your keyblade for us, dear?" Flora asked.

Ed nodded and summoned out his keyblade. Flora flicked her wand and a red orb floated toward it and disappeared into the keyblade. "That there is fire. It's a magic spell so you'll be able to use it against enemies. Also..." she then flicked her wand again and another orb floated toward Ed. "Go ahead and take it."

Ed hesitated for a bit then reached out his hand and touched the orb. He was then surrounded by light and his outfit changed again. It looked the same, only the black coat was red again, but it kept the same white outlining and there were white symbols embroidered on the end. He then blinked, noticing he was holding two keyblades. "Whoa!"

"Yay! Your first drive form!" Sora exclaimed happily, "Mine was Valor form too."

"Yup! That's the one with Goofy. Mine's Wisdom form," Donald clarified.

"I like that one! It feels like I'm surfing, floating around like that. Oh! And the magic bullets! That's what I call awesome!"

Ed was gawking over his outfit and extra keyblade to haer anything Sora was saying. "O-Okay, so how do I change out of this?" he asked, overwhelmed a bit by the new powers he's received.

"Just concentrate, dear, and you'll be able to control it," Fauna said smiling.

Ed concentrated a bit and went back to his original form. "Phew..."

"Well, do you have any questions for us before you leave?" Meriwether asked.

"Um, yeah...Is fire and the drive form my only magic power?"

"Oh don't worry! You'll learn more spells and drives on your journey. We helped you out, now you have to learn the rest on your own," said Flora.

"I see... It figures."

"Well learning is half the fun!" Sora said with a smile as he put his fists on his hips.

Donald nodded, "I bet wherever he is, your brother's learning some new stuff too!"

"I hope so..." Ed said and smiled to himself. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well, I suppose we go to the next world and search for your brother..." Goofy said in thought.

"You take care now! All 4 of you! Make sure to see Master Yen Sid again before you leave," Flora said as the three of them waved.

"Of course! Thanks again, ladies!" Sora curtsied as he left. Donald pulled him back into reality.

"Sora! Only girls courtesy!"

"Oh, right, sorry..."

As they left the fairies' chamber, Yen Sid greeted them with a smile, "So, I see they did a good job on you, Edward."

Goofy chuckled at Sora's mistake.

"Yes, sir..." Edward said, still admiring his new clothing. "It'll just take some time getting use to..."

"Well, they always know what the heart wants whether the brain agrees or not," The wizard chuckled richly. "So, now that all this is settled for the most part, what are your plans now?"

"Finding Ed's little brother!" Sora exclaimed, bringing the alchemist into a headlock and giving him a noogie.

"Agh! Hey cut it out! That hurts!" Ed yelled and got out of Sora's grip, tackling the boy to the ground, trying to give him a noogie back, but did so like he was doing it to Al.

Goofy ignored Ed and Sora and turned to Yen Sid. "We're going to check the closest world from here. Would you happen to know which one that'll be?"

"That's Twilight Town of course! Not too far, you know where it is." Yen Sid said with a warm, fatherly smile.

Sora untangled himself from Edward and shot to his feet, "I do remember! I woke up from like, the longest nap ever there!"

"Ah hyuck! Oh right! Must have forgotten after all this time," Goofy said and nodded to Sora.

"Longest nap?" Ed asked and blinked as he stood up. "So you think my brother will be in this Twilight Town?"

"Perhaps. It's a good place to look," Yen Sid said with a sly smile.

Sora yawned and looked at Edward with a sleepy smile, "Yeah, I was asleep for a year. I had crazy dreams but turned out they weren't dreams and-... I have a headache now..."

"A year?" Ed gasped. "Why were you asleep THAT long?"

"Well, maybe we should talk about it in the gummi ship?" Goofy asked and turned to Yen Sid. "Thank you for your help, Master Yen Sid. We promise we'll keep an eye on Edward," he said as he, Sora, and Donald saluted.

Ed blinked and saluted as well a little too late as he was shoved out the door by Donald.

Yen Sid nodded and bid the group farewell. "Take care! And Edward! Don't be afraid of the darkness!"

Once the door shut, Sora scratched the back of his head as he started down the stairs again, "What did he mean by that? He never said anything like that to me."

"Don't be afraid of the darkness? Why would I be afraid of something like that?" Ed asked and marched down the stairs, shrugging Yen Sid's comment off. He was surprised that they didn't run into any heartless on the way down.

"Hmm...maybe it's because Ed's new to all of this?" Goofy guessed.

"Let's hope so," Donald hissed to his friend.

Sora shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged, "Whatever, let's go to Twilight Town. I'm going to nap on the way there... Thinking about sleep is making me... sleepy..."

"Sleep sounds good...As long as I don't get motion sickness again," Ed muttered as they got closer to the bottom. It was much easier walking down than up.

"It's alright. You two ought to rest up for awhile before we get to the next world. We don't know what kind of trouble we'll face," Goofy said, looking back at the two key bearers.

Donald opened the hatch to the Gummi ship and the crew climbed in. Sora naturally took his seat and rubbed the dashboard, half-awake. "Oh... so good to be able to relax..." And without warning, the boy was out.

**End of chapter 5. Please review! Hope you guys liked it!**


	6. Chapter 6: Disney Castle

**Here you go guys! Chapter 6 of Fullmetal Heart. I was bored so I decided to update again XD**

**Chapter 6: Disney Castle**

Riku slowly eased the ship onto the ground and turned off the engines, opening the door to the outside world. "We're here! Let's find Queen Minnie as soon as possible," he said, unbuckling his seat belt and heading on outside.

"Queen Minnie?" Alphonse asked, excitedly, "Sounds like a nice name, she must be then! I can't wait to meet her majesty!"

"She is nice. One of the nicest people I've met," Kairi said as they advanced on the castle. The garden outside was filled with lots of beautiful flowers and bushes sculpted into what looked like mice wearing crowns and royal clothing.

Riku walked up the stairs that lead into the giant hallway. "I hope she doesn't mind the sudden visit," Riku said as they walked toward the giant doors that lead to the throne room.

Queen Minnie noticed the two Keybearers and the walking suit of armor and jumped out of her throne. "Oh my! Riku! Kairi! What a pleasant surprise! Oh? Who is this with you?"

"I'm Alphonse Elric, ma'am. It's an honor to meet you!" He exclaimed with a bow.

The mouse giggled, "Well, how do you do, Alphonse? There's no need to be so formal, come come!"

Kairi smiled. "It's good to see you again, Queen Minnie. Sorry for suddenly appearing without warning."

"Finding the fourth key failed, so we came to report back here," Riku said then turned to Al. "We did find someone from Amestris though. He says he doesn't know who the fourth key is, but he is looking for his brother."

"Oh? Then you didn't fail at all!" Minnie giggled.

Alphonse cocked his head to the side, "Huh? What do you mean?"

"You're actually closer to the fourth key than you realize! Mickey didn't tell you the fourth key had a brother?"

Kairi blinked. "R-Really?" she asked surprised then looked to Al then back to Minnie. "Do you think Al's brother could be the fourth key bearer then?"

"Well, they are both from the same world. It's a great possibility..." Riku said. "Which means, finding the fourth key might make our job a lot simpler now that we have Alphonse."

"Brother is a key bearer! Wow~! That's cool! I can't wait to find him!" Alphonse said, shivering with excitement. His armor rattled as he did so.

Minnie giggled, "Well there we go then! I wish I could help a bit more... Oh wait!" She scampered into the king's study and brought out a book. "Here! I was told to give this to the fourth key by the King. Can you hold onto it for me?"

Alphonse took the book and nodded, placing it inside his armor. "Sure thing. Ed loves books!"

"So I hear!" She giggled again.

"Thanks Queen Minnie! We knew we could count on you! We'll find the fourth key soon!" Kairi said and saluted, smiling.

"Aw man, does that mean we have to go already? We just got here!" Riku said, folding his arms behind his head like he was leaning on an invisible wall.

"I am a bit tired," Alphonse lied. Of course he wasn't tired... physically at least. His mind was just as rattled as his armor though. All this information at once was too much for the poor boy.

Minnie giggled, seeing through his charade, "I understand. If you're bored, you can always visit Chip and Dale down in the Gummi Garage. They're always happy to see friends."

"Gummi Garage? That's where Gummi Ships are made, right?"

"Oh! Sure we can go do that!" Kairi said and smiled, turning to look at Al. "Yup! Those two sure love to work on the gummi ships. They've helped Sora, Donald and Goofy a lot on their missions in the past."

"Okay, whatever," Riku said and thanked Minnie before turning to head to the Garage. "Let's go you two."

Minnie waved bye to the adventurers, "Have fun! And good luck!"

"Thanks! We will!" Alphonse called back. As they walked down the hall towards the Garage, Al began to think. "Maybe while we're visiting Chip and Dale, I could learn a thing or two about this Gummi stuff. I'd love to learn how to build a ship!"

As the three walked closer to the Garage, they could hear squeaky little voices coming from the other side of the door.

"No! You have to put that part here, otherwise it won't work!"  
"How do you know? You haven't tried it!"

"Sorry, to interrupt, boys..." Riku said as they entered.

"Oh look! It's Riku and Kairi!" Chip said, bouncing up happily.  
"And some new guy too!" Dale said in response.

Alphonse waved to the chipmunks, "H-Hi... I'm Alphonse Elric. Aren't you a bit small to be building things so big?"

"Hey! Just because we're small doesn't mean we can't think big!" Chip said bouncing up and down  
"Yeah! Gummi blocks aren't that heavy!" Dale responded.

"These...are Chip and Dale," Kairi said and giggled.

"So...do you guys have anything new we could add to our ship?" Riku asked, bending down.

"Oh yes! We were just examining your ship!"  
"You could use more projectiles and shield gummis!"

"Awesome! Could you guys provide us some?" Riku asked excitedly.

"Sure!"  
"For a price..."

"Of course..."

Alphonse raised a hand first, "So like... this gummi stuff... is it hard to use? I mean, I've just never heard of it before."

"It's pretty simple to use. Sometimes, if you have enough parts, you can build your own ship!" Kairi said smiling.

"Here you are!"  
"That will be 2000 munny!"

"Yeah, yeah...Here you go..." Riku said, pulling out munny from his pocket.

"WOW~! That would be a fun project! Oh, I wonder if building it would be like constructing something with alchemy! I would love to do something like that with Brother! We could build our own ship and then fly straight home!" Alphonse chattered happily.

Kairi and Riku looked at each other then looked to Al. "Well...it's not that easy, Al..." Kairi said and shrugged. "Once we find your brother, we need him to help us restore the worlds back to normal along with the other keyblades..."

"Plus, you can't go home to a black hole of nothingness..." Riku muttered.

Alphonse lowered his head, "Oh yeah... I forgot..." His soul felt heavy as he thought about the tragedy again. Then out of nowhere, gummi blocks were shoved into his arms. "Hey!" He exclaimed as he stepped back from the sudden load.

"Here...You carry the gummi blocks. You're strong and you don't get tired. And don't worry about it. We'll restore your home back to normal," Riku said, patting the armored boy on the shoulder.

"Yeah. We're sorry for making you upset again, Alphonse," Kairi said and shrugged.

Alphonse's armor appeared to blink, but also looked as if it smiled from their kindness. "Thanks guys. That means a lot..." _Even though you are taking advantage of me... I used to be Ed's pack mule too..._ He shook his head of the thought and adjusted his arms, "I-I'll go put these in the ship. Um... what're you going to do?"

"Well, I think I'm gonna get some grub before we leave," Riku said and stretched.

"Yeah, I'm a bit hungry too..." Kairi said and blushed. "Where will we be heading to next?"

"Hmmm...We could search Twilight Town next. It's always the best place to start."

"Yeah! We can get some sea salt ice cream too!"

"Sea-Salt Ice Cream?" Alphonse asked in confusion, "What a strange idea. I remember ice cream was creamy and stuff, not salty. I think I'm putting this on my list of things to eat when I get my body back."

Kairi smiled. "It's not all salty. It sweet and salty at the same time. It's kinda like taffy..." she said as the three of them walked out of the garage.

"Bye guys!"  
"See you later!"

Riku waved behind them as they left and stuck his hands in his pocket. "Well, let's go get food and then we can leave." He then turned to Al. "You're welcome to join us after you put the gummi parts in the ship."

"That's nice but uh..." Alphonse started, "I... I don't have a stomach... I would love to eat, really, and I'm glad you're thinking of me, but I can't..." Inside though, he was excited that they didn't think of that. It made him feel whole again. If he could blush, he would.

"I asked so you can carry some food back!" Riku laughed, slapping Al on the back.

"Riku!" Kairi yelled, glaring at the boy.

"I'm just kidding, Kairi! Sheesh!"

Alphonse laughed, clearly embarrassed, "Oh okay! I-I'll come then even though I won't eat!"

And with that, the three of them walked off together before leaving the world in search of Ed.

**End of chapter 6. Sorry it's kind of short. The next chapter will be a little short too, but it'll get better ^_^**


	7. Chapter 7: Maleficent's Castle

**Here's chapter 7! Hope you guys like.**

**Chapter 7: Maleficent's Castle**

His head throbbed like he had a never ending migraine. He couldn't stand the pain any longer, it was worse than any hangover he had. Roy groaned and put a hand on his forehead as he sat up. He didn't know where he was, in a large gorge in the middle of nowhere. _The boys! Hawkeye!_ He looked around in panic and saw ten feet away from him his first lieutenant.

"HAWKEYE!" He cried as he stumbled to his feet. He ran as fast as he could but skidded to a halt when a large black aura blocked his path.

"Where do you think you are going?" Out stepped a woman with long black horns and green skin in a black and purple robe. Despite being a witch, her face was quite beautiful.

"Who are you! What did you do to me and my lieutenant! WHERE ARE WE!"

"Patience, dear child, all questions will be answered shortly..." She grabbed his face with her hand and admired him, "My my, what a strong will you have. Surely you don't use it to protect your friends, do you?"

Roy's eyes widened in fear. His friends! What about them! Was this _her_ doing!

The witch laughed, "You do! But you were weak, you lost them when your world fell apart."

_It's true... she's right... how does she know this?_

"I can help... I am Maleficent... and I can make you stronger than you could ever imagine." She looked behind at Riza then back at Roy. "Go to her... and consider my offer... if you accept, you know where to find me..." And with that, she disappeared into a puff of black smoke.

Roy panicked and knelt down next to Riza, "Hawkeye! HAWKEYE! Wake up!"

Riza slowly rolled over, groaning in pain from the same headache she had. "COLONEL! ED! AL!" she yelled, bolting upright, then blinked, realizing she was in someone's arms. "Colonel..." she said, relaxing a bit. "W-Where are we...?"

Roy looked at the ground. "I don't know..." He looked back at her in dismay, "But all I know is that we survived whatever happened back there. Some woman told me our home of Amestris was destroyed by those dark things..."

"A woman?" Riza asked and blinked, looking around. "But, I don't see anyone..." she then stopped and frowned. "Our home..." she said and looked at Roy's face. "What about Ed and Al? Are the boys safe?"

Roy shook his head again. "I-I still don't know. Everything happened so fast... I hope they're alright, that's all I can say with certainty." He then began to plead with Riza, "But the woman I saw! She called herself Maleficent and offered us a chance to find them! If we just see her again, she might take us Edward and Alphonse!"

Riza slowly stood up, holding Roy's hand as she did. "We should start looking then. She may also tell us where we are too..."

Roy nodded and stood up when Riza did. _She said I would know where to find her... how vague of direction... but I don't care. I have to find those boys! They might be in danger!_ He started to walk deeper and deeper into the gorge, the canyon walls getting higher and higher. He didn't know where his feet were taking him, but somehow he knew it was the right direction.

Riza quietly followed behind him, having a sinking feeling in her stomach. "Colonel, do you know where we're going? And do you trust this woman?"

Roy focused his attention on the path ahead and glared. "I know where I'm going, Hawkeye, you just have to trust me. As for Maleficent, I don't know what to do but to trust her. If it means getting the Elrics back and going home, I'm all for it."

Riza shrugged, a bit taken aback by Roy's sudden outburst at her. Normally Roy thought things through before rushing in head first. "Yes, sir..." she muttered, quietly walking behind her commanding officer.

Soon enough, Roy and Riza reached a cliff. There standing on the edge, was Maleficent. She turned her head and smiled warmly at Roy.

"So... you're here to take up my offer?"

The Colonel glared at her and said nothing. The fire in his eyes said it all: "I accept, only if it means getting my life back to normal."

The witch was pleased. She stepped aside and opened up a portal next to her. "Then enter, and I shall grant you the power you desire."

Riza stared at Malefacent and shivered. She then quickly grabbed Roy's arm and looked at him with worry written on her usually calm face. "Colonel...wait a minute..." she said, her voice trailing, hoping that he wasn't going to lash out at her again.

The Colonel looked at his Lieutenant in concern. "Yes, Hawkeye? What is it?"

Riza gripped Roy's arm, taking a deep breath. She wanted to keep telling him to stay away, to not go, but she knew it would all be pointless. "Roy...I'm going with you!" she said, determined. She wasn't going to leave his side.

Roy looked at Riza and nodded. Subconsciously, he grabbed her hand and stepped into the portal of darkness with her. Maleficent soon followed with a dark grin on her face. Her plan was going perfectly...

Riza slowly entered the portal with Roy, gripping his arm tight and slowly glanced back at Maleficent. It was a good thing she had her guns with her. She didn't know if they would be of any use though with this dark energy surrounding them.

Since he went with Maleficent, Roy did nothing but sit in his room and stare at the night sky. His head was still swimming from what happened. One minute he was relaxed in his office and the next, he was stressed and in the tower of a gothic castle. The only thing he had on his mind right now was the Elrics. He was responsible for them, and his guilt was overwhelming. _I lost them, Goddammit, and now I'm worried sick. I can't... I can't handle this... But I can't just turn my back now..._

Riza was dressed in a white night gown. The woman named Maleficent was nice enough to give her own room with whatever she needed, though she still didn't trust her. She slowly walked into Roy's room placing a hand on his shoulder. "Are you still thinking about the boys?" she asked sadly.

Roy turned to look at Riza, but his expression didn't change. "Yeah... I just think I should have been there. They have no one else, and I let them down." His mind then replayed the events that had happened only yesterday and he shook his head. He stood up and rested his arm against one of the posts of his canopy bed, "I feel sick, Hawkeye. I don't want to sell myself to this woman, but what choice do I have? She said with her power I'd be able to find them and protect them. I just... don't know if I'm really doing the right thing..."

Riza kept her hand on his shoulder, her expression growing worried. "What happened wasn't your fault. I'm sure they're alright. You don't need this woman's power. We can search for them together..." she hissed quietly, fearing Maleficent was nearby. "Please, Roy..." she muttered, saying his name for the first time instead of Colonel.

But when Roy turned to look at her once more, black tears began to stream from his eyes and his sclera were blood red. A dark aura began to emit from his body as he continued to cry, "I'm sorry, Lieutenant... I already... said 'yes'..."

**End of chapter 7. Sorry, this is a bit shorter than the last. But Oooooh! Evil Mustang! Wonder what's gonna happen? Well, you'll have to wait and see! Please review!**


	8. Chapter 8: Twilight Town part 1

**Hey guys! Here's chapter 8 of Fullmetal Heart! I hope you like! Things will start to get heated :3 Mwahahahaha!**

**Chapter 8: Twilight Town Part 1**

Bouncing out of the Gummi Ship, Alphonse was excited to see a train station. "Oh! Brother and I used to ride these all the time back home! I kinda miss using a train as a means of transportation... no offense to the Gummi Ship, this is just... n-...nostalgia..." He had difficulty forming the word as his mind raced to the days of train travel with Edward.

Kairi got out of the gummi ship and giggled. "Does your home look like this, Alphonse?" she asked, looking up at the clock tower.

Riku got out as well, locking the gummi ship so no one could get inside and looked up at the clock tower as well. _'This is where Roxas use to hang out...'_ he thought to himself and wondered what Sora, Donald and Goofy were doing.

"Umm, kind of. Just not so... orange..." Alphonse said sheepishly, "But this place looks more like Central than Resembool."

"I see," Kairi said, folding her hands behind her back. "I wish I could see your world."

"We may be able to once we restore it to normal, Kairi," Riku said and looked around. "For now, let's start searching. We can ask the shop keepers if they know anything."

Alphonse was a bit nervous at that suggestion. He knew he was intimidating to look at. "Uh... I guess so. I just hope I don't scare anybody. After all, you guys did think I was a Heartless when we first met..."

"Oh well, you did surprise us back there, but I'm sure you'll be fine as long as your with us," Kairi said and began walking past the train station and into town.

"Just don't loom over anybody..." Riku muttered and smirked.

"Like this?" Alphonse teased, bending over and holding his hands out like claws.

"Exactly like that..." Riku said and pushed Al back a couple of inches, laughing.

"Hey! It's Kairi!" Riku heard a girl's voice say. He blinked, turning around to see 3 kids holding what looked like blue ice cream.

"Olette! Hayner! Pence!" Kairi said and giggled. "It's good to see you all again!"

"You know them?" Riku asked confused. Though he had been to Twilight Town more times than Kairi, he normally kept to himself.

"Yeah! They helped me when...uh when Axel kidnapped me..." she said and sweat dropped. She knew now that Axel wasn't such a bad guy.

"YOU WERE KIDNAPPED!" Alphonse squeaked.

Pence licked his ice cream slowly and just stared at the moving and talking armor. "Dude, what's wrong with you?"

Hayner smacked his friend on the back of his head, "Hey, you just can't go asking what's wrong with someone! I'm sure there's good reason he's all dressed up like that!"

"D-Dressed up?" Al whimpered.

"Uh yeah... By Organization XIII...but that's not important now," Kairi said and sweat dropped.

"So who are your friends?" Olette asked, staring at Alphonse.

"This is my friend Riku, the one I was talking about that's friends with me and Sora."

"How do you do?" Riku asked, waving slightly to them.

"And this..." she motioned to Al. "Is our friend Alphonse. He's looking for his brother."

"Have you seen him? He's blonde and has gold eyes and is 5' 5"." Alphonse described.

Pence and Hayner looked at each other and shrugged. "Beats us."

"Sorry, we haven't seen anyone like that around..." Olette said, frowning a bit.

"It's alright. We're just going to look around for a bit anyway," Riku said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, do you guys want to come with us?" Kairi asked, hoping that some more friends could hang out with her while they were here.

"We've got nothing else better to do," Pence said with a shrug.

Hayner grinned and flashed a thumbs up, "Yeah, it'll kill a lot of time!"

If Alphonse could smile, he would be grinning. He was so happy that there were such nice people to help him find his brother!

"Well, then let's get going already..." Riku said, getting impatient.

"We could go ask at the candy shop? They get a lot of customers there," said Olette.

"You sure you don't want to go there just for candy?" Kairi teased as the group started walking to the Tram Common.

"I could go for some taffy..." Pence added sheepishly.

Hayner knocked on Al's arm, "You like candy?"

"Uh, yeah!" Alphonse lied, "I love it!" _I don't remember what candy tastes like though! All I remember is that it's sweet!_

Kairi kept silent as Hayner talked to Al. "So...Have you guys heard from Sora, Donald and Goofy lately?" she asked, trying to change the subject.

"Or King Mickey?" Riku added.

Olette shook her head. "Not in awhile. It's been pretty quiet around here lately."

"Yeah, we haven't seen anyone," Pence said.

Alphonse shrugged, "Seems like everyone's been missing lately."

"Hey look! We're almost there!" Kairi exclaimed as well. "Let's hurry!" she said and raced for the candy shop.

"Wait up Kairi!" Riku yelled and chased after her.

"Sunrise, sunset, this place is so confusing..." Sora grumbled as he stepped off in front of the Old Mansion.

Donald sighed, "It's 'Twilight' Town, Sora. That means it's always sunset here."

"Is that what twilight meant? I didn't know that..."

Ed rolled his eyes. "I've never been here before and I knew that..." he muttered and looked at the mansion. "So we're searching for my brother here? Looks deserted..."

"Well we're sorta on the outskirts of town right now," Goofy explained.

"Buuut, I don't think he's in there," Sora said, rocking back on his heels, "I mean, ever since Ansem left, it pretty much is empty."

"So there's really nothing to do in there unless we want to go Nobody hunting instead," Donald added.

"I think I'll pass," Ed said and looked in the opposite direction. "So that way leads to town? What are we waiting for then?" he said and ran off.

"You know, he kinda reminds me of you, Sora," Goofy said and chuckled.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Puh-lease, he's nothing like me!" And he was the second to take off.

"Yeah Goofy, Edward's way smarter than Sora!" Donald laughed.

Ed got into town and came to a halt a bit too late, crashing into someone. "Hey! Watch where you're going, wuss!"

"What did you say?" Ed asked and shot up. "I was going to apologize, but I don't think you deserve it!"

"You better apologize or Siefer's gonna mess you up, ya know?" Said a big, burly young man obviously addressing his friend.

"Mess you up..." Said a quiet young girl on the other side of the 'boss'.

"Seifer! Rai! Fuu! Don't pick on him! He's with me!" Sora hollered at the group that had begun to bully Edward.

"Whatever, this chicken wuss isn't worth my time anyway," Seifer said, turning his back on the group.

"What! No one calls me that and gets away with it!" Ed yelled, ready to slug Seifer in the face, but was held back by Goofy.

"Now, now, Edward! We don't want to cause trouble!" Goofy said, finding it difficult to hold Ed back.

"Pfft, he's just upset 'cause I already showed him what's what last time I was here," Sora boasted.

Donald sighed, "Oh dear, not this again..."

"What's that guy's deal anyway?" Ed growled and looked at Sora. "So what did you do? Stuff food in his mouth and flick something at his face?"

"Uh...actually, that's exactly what he did!" Goofy said, amazed by Ed's guess.

"Cotton candy and a Noh mask! We woke up in time for a festival!" Sora said happily.

"I see...too bad there's no festival now," Ed said, looking around the sandlot. "I'm hungry!" he said, his tummy letting out a loud growl.

"We could stop for candy... There's a candy shop nearby. That'll hold out until lunch," Goofy said, grinning.

"Mmm... food..." Sora drooled as the group made its way over to the candy shop.

"Is that all teenage boys think about?" Donald asked his pal, Goofy.

"Hey, I haven't eaten since yesterday!" Ed complained.

"Well, we haven't run into any heartless or nobodies yet... I don't see why not," Goofy whispered.

Sora's stomach growled. "Yeah... I'm really hungry."

"Well, look! We're almost there!" Donald exclaimed.

"Candy!" Ed exclaimed happily and ran straight for the candy shop. Once he got there, he forgot about asking about his brother and ordered a large cotton candy, two lolly pops, and a giant pack of taffy.

"Edward! Wait up!" Sora called, going after him. His eyes widened at the selections of sweet treats and he went straight for the chocolates.

As Hayner and Pence went after Kairi, Riku, and Olette, Alphonse lagged behind. Seeing as how he couldn't eat anyway, it didn't bother him if everyone else got sweets before he did. Then something caught the corner of his eye. "Huh? Ed?"

Ed heard his name being called and thought it was Sora. "Huh? What's up Sora?" he asked with a lolly pop sticking out of his mouth.

"SORA?" Kairi yelled in surprise, seeing the boy near the candy shop.

"It is Sora!" Riku said and smirked. "Son of a bitch... Who would've guessed we'd find him so fast?" he laughed.

Ed then realized it wasn't Sora who called him and blinked, seeing there were other people there. "AL?" he gasped, his lolly pop falling out of his mouth and hitting the ground.

"RIKU! KAIRI! Aw, I knew Master Yen Sid wanted me to come here for a reason!" Sora exclaimed, jumping into the arms of his friends. "Ed, look! I found my friends!"

"AND I FOUND MY BROTHER!" Alphonse exclaimed, hugging Edward so tightly that he heard the boy's back crack. "EDWARD, I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE SAFE!"

Somewhere between all of this, Hayner, Pence and Olette decided they would catch up with them later and took off back to their hideout, saying goodbye to the group that was barely paying attention to them.

"OW! Al, you're hurting me! Spikes...poking..." Ed yelled, wiggling in Al's grip since the boy picked him off the ground.

Kairi ran at Sora and gave him a great big bear hug. Riku joined in and pulled them both into a hug. "Guess we were right to come here then! We found Sora and Al found his brother," he said, laughing as the three were in a big group hug, Goofy coming along and joined in.

"Oops! S-Sorry Ed!" Alphonse whimpered, putting his brother down, "It's so good to see you! B-But... what happened to your clothes?"

Donald awed and he too joined in the hug. He then asked a burning question, "Say Riku? Have you seen the king?"

"Oh yeah... I forgot we weren't just looking for you guys but the king too. 'Cause of that letter, ya know?" Sora said as they all pulled away from their hugs.

Ed looked down at himself and blinked. "Oh, these..." he said and shrugged, trying to think of how to explain to his brother what happened since they separated. "That's the thing... I'm kinda the wielder of a keyblade now," he said, summoning his keyblade.

"We've already explained to him what the keyblade is," Kairi said, pulling away from Sora.

Riku sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Sadly, no... I haven't heard from the king in awhile. OH! Which reminds me," he then turned to Al. "Al, give your brother that book Queen Minnie gave us."

"Book?" Ed asked and blinked.

Kairi nodded. "She said it was from the King."

"That's right! The book!" Alphonse exclaimed. He opened his chest and dug through it and pulled it out. "I can't seem to read it, but maybe you can?"

Sora looked at it in awe. "Huh? You can't? I can see the words just fine."

"Maybe it's for Keywielders only?" Donald suggested.

"Keywielders that know what 'Human Transmutation' is then," Sora snorted, "What the heck does that mean?"

Ed frowned. "Human Transmutation?" he asked sadly and shrugged.

"What is it?" Kairi asked. "What does that mean?"

"It's a forbidden taboo in my world. We practice the science of alchemy. Transmuting the matter of one substance into another. Human transmutation is the practice of bringing the dead back to life through alchemy... It's forbidden because it's impossible and it causes a rebound on the alchemist..." he said and placed his left hand on his right shoulder, squeezing it.

"Let me guess... You preformed human transmutation?" Riku asked, looking at the expression on his face.

"Y-Yeah... that's why I'm hollow..." Alphonse said simply.

Sora frowned and took the book from Edward and began to flip through the pages, "Well, I dunno what all you're talking about, but this looks like an instruction manual to me. '35 liters of water...' duh duh duh, forget all that cooking stuff, Ooh! Magic! 'Summoning spells... Curaga...' This looks like Ansem's notes!"

"WHAAT!" Donald exclaimed. He took the book from Sora and read it as well, "This is... INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO CREATE A NOBODY... or a SOMEBODY'S BODY!"

"I get it now!" Alphonse said, putting his fist in his hand in excitement, "The King wanted to give Ed that book so he can get my body back!" And then it hit him and he lowered his head, "I guess that really does mean I'm a Heartless, huh?"

Ed took the book back from Sora and flipped through it before looking up at Al. "No! You're not a heartless! You didn't lose yourself to the darkness! Though it's invisible, you still have your heart!"

"Gwarsh...Ed's right! You're not a heartless, Alphonse!" Goofy said to try and cheer the armored boy up.

Kairi nodded in agreement. "You may seem like a heartless to most people because your empty, but you're not evil. You care and you have a loving heart."

If Al could blush, his armor would be hot and pink. "Oh... thanks guys! But what I was talking about was from a technical stand point, not a literal one."

"What does it matter, you still have your soul and heart as one and that doesn't make you a Heartless or a Nobody." Sora clarified.

"I just don't have a body. Oh, these thoughts are making me dizzy..."

"Try not to think too hard," Riku laughed.

"Well, now that we're all together, what do we do now?" Ed asked and shut the book.

"I guess we continue looking for the King," Goofy said, nodding to Donald.

"I wonder where he could be or what he's doing?" Kairi asked. "He's always on the move..."

"What about the Colonel! And Winry?" Alphonse asked, "Now that I've found brother, what about them?"

"They from your world too?" Sora asked.

"Yeah, and I know they have strong enough hearts to have survived! We have to go look for them too!" Al exclaimed.

"I don't think that will be necessary," came a cool voice that echoed through the alley next to the candy shop.

Ed spun around to see a man with dark raven hair and a woman with blond hair standing behind him. "COLONEL! LIEUTENANT!" Ed said happily, running in their direction. "You're okay!"

Riza was dressed in all black and her hair was down. She stepped out in front of Roy, sadness and regret shown on her face as she pointed her gun at the blond keywielder.

Ed came to a sudden halt and gasped. "Lieutenant? What's wrong? It's me! Edward!"

**End chapter 8. Dun dun duuuuun! Sorry for the cliffhanger XD I'll update soon I promise!**


	9. Chapter 9 Twilight Town part 2

**Hey guys! So here's chapter 9 of Fullmetal Heart! **** Hope you enjoy!**

**Chapter 9: Twilight Town part 2**

Ed spun around to see a man with dark raven hair and a woman with blond hair standing behind him. "COLONEL! LIEUTENANT!" Ed said happily, running in their direction. "You're okay!"

Riza was dressed in all black and her hair was down. She stepped out in front of Roy, sadness and regret shown on her face as she pointed her gun at the blond key wielder.

Ed came to a sudden halt and gasped. "Lieutenant? What's wrong? It's me! Edward!"

"I know," Roy said, stepping out reveal that his appearance had changed drastically as well. His jacket had lengthened and the lining had turned blood red, the Heartless emblem on his right arm instead of his military rank. His pants and shirt were as dark as his current demeanor and his left eye was covered with an eye patch. A wing of flame burned brightly as a dark keyblade appeared. It was mostly black and red, looking like demonic fiery wings wrapping around each other and on the end of the chain was a pentagram. He thrust the tip of it at Edward as if to challenge the boy.

"Edward... Why did you leave without my permission?" As he spoke, the black tears began to seep from his eyes again.

Alphonse stepped back and rested his hand on the hilt of his own sword, "Colonel! What are you talking about! We couldn't help it! Our world was destroyed! You remember! You tried to save us!"

Roy cocked his head to the side and then charged at the armor, "IT'S YOUR FAULT THEN!"

But Sora blocked the attack with his own blade and pushed the darkened Colonel back. "Some friend you are! Giving you heart to the darkness like that! I'm gonna kick your ass!"

"Not if I stop you first!" Riza yelled, firing some shots at Sora.

"No! Stop it! Don't fight!" Ed yelled, seeing Roy lunge at Al and Sora and Riza firing her guns at Sora. Ed summoned his keyblade and jumped between Sora, clashing blades with Roy. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS!" he yelled. "It wasn't our fault we disappeared! Our world was destroyed and we got sent to other worlds! If you really cared about us then you wouldn't have given your heart to the darkness!" Ed yelled and kicked Roy in the gut with his automail leg.

Riku watched all this in horror. "He's a friend of theirs? Then this must be Maleficent's work..." he muttered darkly, remembering that he too lost his heart to darkness.

Roy's hand shook as he held his abdomen. "It was... the only way I could find you... The darkness... I'M NOT AFRAID OF THE DARKNESS! It's made me stronger! I can protect you now! Come back, Edward!" He attacked the boy again as if he was a puppet on a string, the blades clanging sharply.

"He's completely lost it! C'mon, Riku!" Sora hollered among the sound of steel and Riza's bullets as he summoned his keyblade and went after the Lieutenant.

Alphonse however, didn't know what to do. He knew something was wrong with Mustang, but he couldn't attack him. He shook and a reflex made him draw his sword and without warning he yelled "F-FIRE!" The ball of flame hit its target of the Colonel, but it did nothing as the flame wing absorbed the attack.

"He's immune to fire!" Donald quacked angrily.

Riku nodded, taking out his keyblade. "Kairi, stay out of sight."

"But I want to help!" she said as she watched the struggle go on.

"Just do so for now. I don't want you getting hurt!"

"IF you want to protect me THEN WHY ARE YOU ATTACKING?" Ed yelled, jumping out of the way of Mustang's attack. He then looked behind him at Goofy. "Goofy I need your help..."

Goofy nodded knowing exactly what Ed was asking for. "Okay!" he said and followed Edward.

Ed stood still and concentrated on what he wanted. "Give me power!" he said and transformed. He then stood there in his Valor form, two keyblades in hand and Goofy nowhere in sight. "Snap out of it and come to your senses!" Ed yelled, charging at Roy with great speed. He then jumped up in the air and started smacking Roy constantly with the duel blades.

"Colonel!" Riza yelled and went to go help him, but was stopped by another keyblade. "Not so fast, sweetheart..." Riku muttered.

"We know you don't want to fight us," Sora said, pointing the end of his keyblade to Riza's back, "Just please, tell us if this is Maleficent's work. We can help him!"

Alphonse opened up his armor again and motioned Kairi to take refuge in him, "Come on! I don't know how well I can defend against magic, but you'll be safe in here!"

Roy blocked all of Ed's attacks with ease and even if he was hit, he took it like it was nothing. He stood his ground and pointed his blade at Ed once again, a maddening smile creeping onto his face, "I'm perfectly sane, Edward. It's you who's denying me. You always have, after everything I've done for you! I've even taken you in like my own family, and this is how you repay me! BY LEAVING ME BEHIND!" He howled with crazed laughter and started his own offensive, moving so fast that it rivaled Ed's Valor form speed.

Kairi nodded and frowned, climbing inside Al's armor, but watched the fight through the grill beneath Al's helmet.

Riza pointed both of her guns at Riku and Sora but didn't fire, knowing that all three of them were at gun point. "Yes…It was Maleficent," she said, biting her lip, trying not to cry. "I tried talking him out of it, but he insisted that he become more powerful so he could save Ed and Al. Apparently the power overwhelmed his mind and heart and he became insane..." she said, lowering her guns.

Riku lowered his weapon as well. "I know. I was the same way once. I gave into Maleficent's power and lost my heart to darkness. But it's not too late. He can still be saved..."

Ed gasped and stumbled back, trying to block Roy's attacks with both keyblades. "Leave you behind! That wasn't our fault! Your feelings are driving you mad! Snap out of it! Find your light, Colonel! Don't become a heartless!" he yelled, managing to smack Roy in the head with one of his keyblades. Ed then flipped back and panted, losing the power of his valor form. "Damn... What happened?" he asked, seeing Goofy beside him.

"The drive forms only last so long since they take a lot of power and energy," Goofy said sadly but held up his shield to protect Ed from any attacks that came from Mustang.

"You just need to point him in the right direction, get him back into the light," Sora added, lowering his weapon as well, "I can see you're not influenced by the darkness, so it's up to you to help him. Get him away from Ed and Al for now, the last thing he needs is to be tormented by his own feelings."

Roy fell to the ground and landed on his hands and knees, panting and the dark aura beginning to fade. "I'm sorry... I... I don't know what I'm doing... E-Edward..." But from around him, the aura that had left began to manifest into Shadows. Obviously, this wasn't his doing.

Riza nodded to Riku and Sora and quickly ran to his side, helping him up. "Colonel, stop this! We found the boys now and know they're safe. Stop attacking them and letting those negative feelings take over!"

Ed stood up and held his keyblade close, not sure what to do now. The shadows that came from Mustang's dark aura formed into shadow heartless and neo shadow heartless. "Damn! There's so many!" he yelled, whacking as many as he could with his keyblade.

Kairi couldn't take it anymore and jumped out of Al's armor, summoning her keyblade. She then whacked away a shadow that jumped for Ed's head.

"Just get me out of here, Hawkeye, while I still have my head," Roy managed to groan out as he held Riza.

Sora smiled at Riza, happy she took his word, but then focused his attention on the forming Heartless. Alphonse joined in too after closing himself up and swung his sword at the wave of blackness.

"Thundraga!" Donald casted as he took out a large group threatening himself and Goofy.

Riza nodded and lead him to the back alley where Hayner, Pence, and Olette's hide out was. She didn't know exactly where to take him. She couldn't go back to that castle, not back to Maleficent.

Goofy plowed through a group of heartless with his shield, standing side by side with both Sora and Ed.

Riku joined Sora, slashing at every heartless he came into contact with. "Kairi, I said stay out of sight!"

"And you guys need my help! I'm sick of standing by, doing nothing! Besides, that Colonel guy is away from us now. I can handle some wimpy shadow heartless," she said, grinning.

Sora smiled back, "Yeah, Riku! Let 'er join in on the fun!"

"You can count me in too!" Alphonse exclaimed, always by his brother's side.

Ed continued to whack and swing his keyblade until every last one of the heartless were destroyed. With 4 keybearers, the heartless were gone in no time.

Goofy fell on his behind, sighing in relief. "Well, I'm glad that's over..." he said, Donald collapsing beside him.

"Heartless terminated! Not bad huh?" Kairi asked, slinging her keyblade over her shoulder.

Ed was silent and took off in the direction Roy and Riza went. "I'll be right back!" he yelled over his shoulder.

"Ed, wait!" Riku yelled, but the boy had already disappeared down the street.

"He's just too fast!" Sora whined, shoving his hands in his pockets, not even bothering to chase Ed again.

Alphonse shook his head, "One stressful thing after another, I'm surprised Brother's head hasn't exploded yet."

Goofy frowned. "I hope he'll be okay on his own..."

"We should follow anyway and stick close by," Riku said, keeping his keyblade out.

"Yeah, I'm with Riku. We should stick close by and make sure he doesn't get hurt," Kairi said in a worried voice. "That guy is still not completely free of the darkness."

"I have the sick feeling I've done this before," Sora groaned as he followed after his friends.

Donald looked up at him, "I think there's a term for that."

"Déjà vu..." Alphonse replied, thinking back on a similar event. _Brother, don't be stupid! This is just like with Scar!_

Roy held his head in pain as Riza lay him down on the ground. With his other hand, he clutched his chest and winced. "Uh... What was I thinking? You were right, Hawkeye, I'm s-sorry..."

Riza shook her head. "It's alright. We just need to find someplace for you to rest right now..." she said, brushing a few bangs out of his eyes.

"Yeah... Somewhere other than here..." Roy smiled at Riza and slowly lifted his head up as he heard loud footsteps approaching. "Ugh... I feel sick..."

Ed approached the two, obviously out of breath as he bent over and gasped before speaking. "Wait, Colonel! Tell me what's going on! Why are you doing this?" he asked persistent.

"Not now, Edward..." Riza said, figuring that Ed was going to follow. _'I have to get him away from Ed before he tries to hurt him again...'_ Riza though sadly and opened a dark portal back to Maleficent. _'I have no other choice...'_

"Lieutenant, wait!"

Roy smiled weakly at Ed and waved goodbye before clutching his abdomen in pain. "S-Sorry Fullmetal... maybe next time..."

"W-Wait!" Ed yelled as Riza and Roy disappeared through the dark portal. Ed was about to follow them through, but it closed up before he could enter. "What's gotten into you two...?" he asked sadly and shrugged his shoulders.

"Edward!" Goofy yelled, running toward the boy. "Gwarsh! There you are! We were worried about you!"

"They're gone..." Ed muttered.

Riku frowned and looked passed Ed as if he could see where Roy and Riza exited. "Hopefully that woman could help him find his light. I'd hate to see someone make the same mistake I did."

"Where ever there's darkness, there's always a light. I'm sure he'll be fine..." Kairi said, smiling to try and cheer Ed up.

Ed just sighed.

"Yeah, and he looked like he still had some near the end of that," Sora said with a nod, "That lady friend of his will keep him from turning 100% Heartless."

"Still, how could this of happened? The Colonel's never shown anything hinting darkness before..." Alphonse said sadly.

Donald shook his head, "Doesn't matter. There's darkness in all hearts, even though it's not always shown to the rest of the world."

Ed sighed again and looked up at the sky. "So what now?"

Goofy looked to Donald and Sora, worried. "Er, well...now that we found your brother, we need to find the King. So we're probably going to the next world."

Riku nodded. "We'll go wherever you guys are going. Its best if we all stick together on this journey."

"Fine... but we're looking for the Colonel and Lieutenant too. I'm not giving up on them," Ed said, looking to Al on his opinion.

"Yeah. And we need to find Winry too! Knowing her, she has a strong heart so must have made it!" Alphonse said triumphantly.

Sora snickered and elbowed the Elrics, "She your girrrlfriend?"

"Sora!" Donald hissed, "Not in front of Kairi!"

The keybearer's face turned blood red and looked at the girl with a stupid grin.

Ed's eyes widened. "N-No! She's just a friend! She's my automail mechanic! She fixes my limbs!" he yelled, pulling up his sleeve.

Kairi giggled at Sora's remark then stopped, seeing Ed's metal limbs. "My goodness! What happened?"

"Long story..." he mumbled. "I can explain on our way to the next world."

"Yeah, explain to us over the intercom since we have two ships," Riku said, crossing his arms across his chest.

"C-Can't we travel in just one? I haven't seen my brother in a while..." Alphonse whimpered, hugging his brother (gently this time) like a young child does with his teddy bear.

Sora looked to Riku and gave his best friend puppy dog eyes, "C'mon, you know how it is to be lost, without anyone to take care of you, right?"

Riku shrugged. "I guess so... What are we going to do with the second ship though?"

"Well...We could take the other one apart and store the gummi blocks," Kairi suggested. She didn't want to just leave a whole ship in this town.

"You could do that?" Ed asked, surprised as Al lightly hugged him. Normally he would tell Al to knock it off, but this time he let his brother hug him all he wanted.

Goofy nodded and smiled. "Yup! It shouldn't take too long.

Donald nodded. "Especially with the Aero and Gravity spells!"

"Ooh! What do those do?" Alphonse asked, only knowing the Fire spell.

"Well..." Sora said, "One lifts things into the air and the other brings them back down."

"I think that's kind of a given..."

Riku rolled his eyes. "I'm sure you guys will learn those spells soon enough," he said and began walking toward the ships. "Let's get going then."

"Right," Ed nodded. "Let's go, Al."


	10. Chapter 10: Heartless Ship Battle

**Here you guys go! Chapter 10 of Fullmetal Heart. Enjoy!**

**Chapter 10: Heartless Ship Battle**

Deep within the dark castle, Riza and Roy emerged from the dark portal, only to run into someone grumbling to themselves.

"Darn that, Maleficent! I know I owe her everything, but does she really have to make me do ALL the chores!" he grumbled and stopped, surprised to see two people standing behind him. "W-Who are you?"

"I was about to ask the same thing!" Riza muttered, lying Roy down on his bed.

"Why I'm Pete! Maleficent and I are going to rule all the worlds someday! Wait-a-minute... You're not that Mustang fella she's been talking about, are ya?" Pete asked, glaring at Roy.

"Yes... and it's a misfortune to meet you..." Roy groaned, but he mumbled the last part. He studied the cat closely and stifled a laugh, "So you expect to rule the universe as that witch's equal? That's a laugh."

Pete's ears flattened. "What's dat suppose to mean? Maleficent would never go back on her promise! I've been here longer than you, rookie!" he spat, throwing the scrub he used to clean the floors to the ground.

Roy's smile turned into a grin. "So she makes you clean the floor like a house maid? That's something I have Lieutenant Havoc do on a bad day." _And knowing the Queen of Darkness, I'm pretty sure she would go back on a promise... _he thought to himself.

Pete snorted. "Humph! She's just making me do this to keep me fit and busy until she finds a mission for me! And what about you? Did you destroy that new key bearer or did you fail?" he asked with a smirk.

Roy's face then twisted from a smug grin to a menacing sneer and he sat up from his bed, ignoring the pain. "None of your damn buisness! I'm not killing for that bitch, AND I'M SURE AS HELL NOT KILLING MY BOYS!" There was a long awkward pause before he leaned back and let Riza care to him. "I'm... not killing... Edward... or Alphonse..."

"Humph! Whatever! Keep having that attitude and Maleficent might just get rid of you!" Pete said and marched out.

Riza sighed, caressing Roy's face as she brushed a few strands of hair out of his eyes. "Don't listen to him, Roy. You're right. He's just one of Maleficent's puppets..." she whispered.

"And at this rate I will be too," Roy said sadly, "But I get the feeling that I just can't leave. I mean, when I think about getting out of here, it feels like something's pulling at my heart, wanting to rip it out. I think either way, I'm doomed to be a Heartless..."

Riza frowned. "No...don't say that!" she whispered and sat on the bed, lying his head into her lap. "You just have to fight the darkness, Roy. I believe you can," she said and sighed, letting him fall asleep in her lap.

* * *

Ed yawned as the gang now flew in the single gummi ship. "So where are we headed now?" he asked, stretching his arms above his head.

"Hmm...looks like a world Sora, Donald and I have never been to. It's called...Notre Dame," Goofy said, pointing to the map.

Ed got up and looked at the world. "Looks like a church..." he said and frowned when suddenly he lurched forward, something hitting the gummi ship. "What the heck was that?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"Heartless ships!" Riku yelled, pointing to the red dots on the screen, closing in on the green dot that was them.

"You mean they can attack us, even in space?" Ed yelled and looked out the window. "Damn...I guess 4 keyblade wielders together in one ship is a huge beacon for them!" he growled.

"How come we missed them last time?" Alphonse asked, bracing himself for impact.

Donald shrugged, "Luck I guess. There are some places in space they don't travel."

"COWARDS!" Sora cried as he took control of the guns and started to blast away, "You guys should have attacked us earlier! I kept falling asleep, I was so bored!"

"I think he forgot we could hear him too..." Alphonse sighed.

Ed fell over again as the ship rocked. "OW!" he yelled, glaring up at Sora as he looked up after face planting into the floor, his butt sticking up in the air.

"SORA! We're surrounded!" Goofy yelled.

"Move Sora! Let me take the guns!" Riku said, trying to push Sora out of the seat, making the ship rock and spin even more.

"WHY DON'T ONE OF YOU DRIVE AND THE OTHER SHOOT!" Kairi yelled, clinging to one of the seats.

"DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE LAST TIME SORA DROVE!" Donald screamed in panic.

Alphonse decided to take initiative and grabbed the controls. He was quite the pilot actually. Even the experienced ones were impressed.

Sora lost to Riku's pushing him, so he let his friend take over anyway. "I still think I'm the best gunner..."

Ed stood up wobbly when Al took over the controls and blinked. "Al, when did you learn to drive a ship?" he asked amazed as he stood next to his brother, gripping the seat to keep his balance as they twirled and spun through space, taking a bit of damage as well.

"DIE HEARTLESS!" Riku yelled, firing the guns at them as they disappeared one after the other.

"Sora, why don't you help Al navigate?" Kairi asked, seeing that Goofy was both worrying about the heartless ships and Al's navigating.

"I talked to Chip and Dale while I was at Disney Castle," Alphonse said, appearing to smile at his brother, "I was just so interested in learning about Gummi Ships that this is starting to be come natural!"

Sora nodded to Kairi and went over to the brothers. "So Chip and Dale, huh? When did you go to the castle?"

"Two days before we went to Twilight Town actually. We were hoping to find Brother and the King there."

Ed blinked a few times. "Chip and Dale?" he asked then looked out the window, noticing that the firing stopped.

"Heartless destroyed!" Riku said, getting up happily as they approached the new world.

"That was quick!" Kairi said, smiling.

"Let's land this thing, Donald!" Goofy said, seeing the world in plain view.

"Oh, you haven't met them? They're two cute little chipmunks that are Gummi experts!" Alphonse said, doting over said rodents.

Donald nodded to his co-piolt and took over for Alphonse, "You did a good job, Al."

"Thanks!"

Sora shot a rival's glare at Riku, "I could have done it faster if you hadn't gotten in my way."

Ed shrugged. "No, can't say I have..." he said, looking at his brother like he didn't really care. It was just like Al to gush over some furry little animal. He then quickly skittered to his seat and strapped in before they hit the atmosphere.

Riku grinned and slapped Sora on the back. "Sure, sure..." he said as he sat down and buckled in as well.

Sora growled and he too took his seat. There were a few comments he'd like to tell his best friend, but thought it best to keep it to himself.

Alphonse sat next to his brother and the armor appeared to smile, "So Ed... if we find anything on this journey that will get our bodies back... what do we do then? Do we keep fighting Heartless, or do we go home?"

Ed shrugged. "I would LOOOVE to go home..." he muttered then glanced at Sora. "But apparently, since I'm one of the keyblade masters, I have to keep defending the worlds from darkness no matter what..."

"I'm sure the worlds will be at peace again someday," Kairi said, reassuring Ed. "You won't be on this journey forever. Things will be the way they were before."

Just then the gummi ship hit the atmosphere and the ship began to rock as they hit turbulence. Ed sunk in his seat, trying to think of something else so he wouldn't vomit again.

Alphonse tilted his head to the side, obviously not affected by the landing. He rubbed his brother's back sensing his discomfort, "It's okay, Ed. I'd probably feel sick too if I could."

"He'll get used to it." Sora laughed, "I did!"

"Then why is your face pale-ish green?" Donald asked the keybearer.

Ed sucked in a deep breath. "Well, the sudden urge to vomit isn't as strong as it was the first time..." he mumbled and looked to Sora then back to Al. "You should've seen him before when we took off from Traverse Town. He was getting thrown around by the ship and broke his nose in the process."

Riku rolled his eyes. "Geeze, Sora. And I thought getting beat up by the heartless was enough for you..."

"Riku!" Kairi said, glaring at the white haired boy.

Goofy slowly landed the gummi ship on the ground and looked out the window. "Gwarsh! That sure is one big Cathedral!" he said, pointing out the window.

Sora rubbed his nose with his finger with a sheepish grin, "I was just having fun, guys, sheesh!"

"That doesn't sound like much fun," Alphonse said sadly as he and the others exited the Ship.

**End chapter 10. Please review!**


	11. Chapter 11: Notre Dame part 1

**Hey guys! Hope you haven't been waiting long! I finally got around to updating Fullmetal Heart. So here you go!**

**Chapter 11: Notre Dame part 1**

Donald cast a spell that turned the ship invisible.

"Why'd you do that?" Alphonse asked.

"Technically, we're not supposed to be here, so it's best we try to lay low as much as possible."

Ed got out of the ship and sighed, placing a hand on his stomach in the process. "Yes! I didn't vomit this time!" he said with a sheepish grin.

Riku looked up at the Cathedral, almost falling back from tilting his head up so high. "So now what? Find the keyhole I suppose?"

"You mean to the heart of the world? And how do you suppose we do that?" Ed asked, placing his hands on his hips in frustration.

"The Heart, huh? Well, it seems like you travelers are in a bit of a pickle there! Hearts here in Parie are hard to find untainted with darkness," came a mysterious yet jeery voice.

"What? Who said that?" Alphonse asked, putting his hand on his sword, "You better not be a Heartless!"

"Heartless? Far from it!" said the voice again. It came from a man dressed in a harlequin's outfit and a mask. He pinched Sora's cheek, much to the boy's dismay and then bounced in front of the group with a bow. "I am Clopin, a jester of sorts! I can help you find this heart you seek if you listen to a little tale."

"No thanks! If you're going to violate my personal space again, I don't want to have anything to do with you!" Sora grumbled, rubbing where the gypsy had playfully hurt him.

Ed crossed his arms and glared. "I don't like the looks of this clown..." he muttered. "And why would you help a couple of outsiders like us?"

"Well...Maybe we should listen to what he has to say! It could help us..." Kairi said, walking up to Clopin. "I'm sorry about my friends," she said and curtsied.

"Oh, it's alright, they're just misguided," Clopin said, taking Kairi's hand and kissing it, much to Sora's displeasure, "But in all seriousness, I am an outsider like you. Here in Parie, we gypsies are being hunted like dogs."

"But why? Surely you just mind your own business around here," Alphonse said with concern.

"We do, that is the problem. I shall explain more if you follow me, we cannot stay here long."

Sora was about to question Clopin's sudden urge to flee, but soon saw it for himself. A dark figure riding a black steed seemed to be patrolling the streets. There was coldness in his eyes and it made the keybearer step back in fear. "Yeah, forget what I said earlier, let's follow this guy and get out of here!"

Ed frowned. "Gypsies, huh?" he asked and looked to the man in black. "I'm betting he's the one in charge around here..." he muttered, backing away with Clopin and the others as he saw a bunch of guards in silver armor follow the man, protecting him and following his orders at the same time.

"So where are we going?" Riku asked as they walked down some back allies.

"I bet it's someplace where all gypsies gather and can't be found, am I right?" Goofy asked with a grin.

Clopin stopped and turned to the group darkly. "Yes... and no. I can't take you to where we officially gather, but I can take you somewhere near."

"In other words, he doesn't officially trust us yet," Sora sighed as the group began to move forward again.

"But I understand his concern," Alphonse thought out loud, "I mean, if I was in his position, I wouldn't fully trust you guys either."

"Gee, thanks..." Riku muttered and continued walking pass the others.

"Well, we didn't fully trust him either, so it's understandable," Kairi said, looking to Ed who was looking back at where they came from. "Something wrong?"

"No...It's nothing," Ed spoke, turning back around and shrugging. "Just that, I felt something very dark about that man..."

"I did too," Sora said, "Who was he?"

Clopin opened a back door to a nearby inn, "Here, quickly. We'll talk inside."

* * *

Meanwhile, Pete appeared in the same spot the group had, looking around as he scratched his head. "Let's see. Maleficent told me to meet that guy here...OH!" he said, seeing Frollo in sight.

The judge known as Frollo stopped in front of the bumbling Pete. "Yes? Can I help you?" He said in a dark and asserting tone.

"Er!" Pete said, standing up straight. "You're Judge Frollo, yes? I'm sure you spoke to Maleficent already? About the heartless?" he asked, shrugging from Frollo's icy glare. "I'm here to help you defeat those keybearer brats and make sure they don't find the keyhole!"

The judge shook his head, "If she sent you, then it must be some divine joke. Leave me, I have no business with incompetents." He started his horse to keep moving but then stopped and turned back to Pete, "Unless... that is if you can provide me an army."

Pete's ears un-flattened and he laughed evilly. "But of course! I can provide you an army of heartless as long as you give yourself to the darkness. Then you can control the heartless and make them do your biding!" Pete said, raising his arms happily up as his belly jiggled.

"Darkness? As in Hell's Minions? Maleficent mentioned no such idea. I must strongly decline then, I can take care of the gypsy vermin on my own," Frollo sneered as he rode past the rotund cat. But it was already clear to Pete, as it was to Maleficent, that his heart was already tainted in darkness. He turned to one of his guards, "Escort this _thing_ out of my city and one of you fetch Captain Phoebus. I need to speak with him."

Pete shrugged. "Humph! I don't need escorting! I can find my own way out..." he said and opened a dark portal. "Just remember, the offer is still open!" he said and walked through, thinking about crashing the festival that was coming up with a few heartless.

* * *

"Okay, NOW tell us who that guy was!" Alphonse said as he put his hands on the table. Sora was busy drinking cider to take over.

Clopin nodded with a smile. "He is known as Judge Frollo. He is the reason why gypsies are being persecuted here."

"And let me guess, the story you wanted to tell us will explain everything." Donald said with a cold look.

"Ah, yes! That!" At that moment, the bells from the cathedral rang for evening mass. "Notre Dame... she plays a big part in what happened."

Ed frowned and shrugged, cupping his glass of cider in his hands and tapped the glass with one finger as the others spoke. "Is this some kind of religious cult?" he asked, sneering at the thought. This was why he was never a religious person.

"Did something like this happen to you before, Ed?" Kairi asked from across the table.

"Kinda..." he mumbled and looked to Clopin. "Continue..."

Clopin laughed, "I can hardly say that Catholicism is a cult! But Frollo does tend to take the word of God too seriously."

"He doesn't think of himself as a prophet, does he?" Alphonse said, knowing exactly what Ed was talking about.

"No, just a servant." Again the bells rang, and Clopin paused to listen.

"Who keeps doing that? It's driving me crazy!" Sora whined.

The gypsy smiled, "I was hoping you'd ask. Now my story can really begin."

_Dark was the night when our tale was begun  
On the docks near Notre Dame  
Four frightened gypsies slid silently under  
The docks near Notre Dame  
But a trap had been laid for the gypsies  
And they gazed up in fear and alarm  
At a figure whose clutches  
Were iron as much as the bells  
The bells of Notre Dame  
Judge Claude Frollo longed  
To purge the world  
Of vice and sin  
And he saw corruption  
Ev'rywhere  
Except within_

_"Bring these gypsy vermin to the palace of justice."_

_"You there, what are you hiding?"_

_"Stolen goods, no doubt. Take them from her"_

_She ran:_

_"Sanctuary, please give us sanctuary!"_

_But to no avail. Frollo caught up to the mother and struck her down._

_"A baby? A monster!"_

_He took the child to the well to drown it then-_

_"Stop!"_

_Cried the Archdeacon_

_"This is an unholy demon. I'm sending it back to hell, where it belongs."_

_"See there the innocent blood you have spilt  
On the steps of Notre Dame,"_

_"I am guiltless. She ran, I pursued."_

_"Now you would add this child's blood to your guilt  
On the steps of Notre Dame,"_

_"My conscience is clear."_

_"You can lie to yourself and your minions  
You can claim that you haven't a qualm  
But you never can run from  
Nor hide what you've done from the eyes  
The very eyes of Notre Dame!"_

_And for one time in his life  
Of power and control  
Frollo felt a twinge of fear  
For his immortal soul_

_"What must I do?"_

_"Care for the child, and raise it as your own."_

_"What? I'd be settled with this misshapen...? Very well. Let him live with you, in your church."_

_"Live here? Where?"_

_"Anywhere...  
Just so he's kept locked away  
Where no one else can see,  
The bell tower, perhaps and who knows, our Lord works in mysterious ways,  
Even this foul creature may  
Yet prove one day to be  
Of use to me..."_

_And Frollo gave the child a cruel name  
A name that means half-formed, Quasimodo  
Now here is a riddle to guess if you can  
Sing the bells of Notre Dame  
Who is the monster and who is the man?_

Ed shrugged. "Frollo obviously..." he said after the jester was done with his tale. "You can't judge someone by their looks but by their heart. Right?"

"Exactly," Riku said, looking to Ed. "This is why the keyblade chose you. You have a pure heart that sees the good and bad in things," he said, placing a hand to his chest.

Kairi smiled as Ed blushed slightly and turned to look at Clopin. "So...Quasimodo is stuck up in that bell tower all the time?" she asked, sadly.

"That's not cool! We have to save Quasi!" Sora said, pounding his glass on the table.

Clopin shook his head, "No one goes up to the bell tower, Frollo forbids it. If he finds you, you'll burn at the stake and be accused of heresy."

"B-Burn? That sounds horrible!" Alphonse whimpered.

"But that pure heart of Quasimodo's might lead us to the keyhole to this world!" Donald hissed to Goofy.

Clopin stood up and bowed to the group again, "Well, mon amies, I must take my leave for the night. There's a bit of a festival going on and I'm quite the big part of it. Adieu!" And he snuck out the back door and left the six on their own.

"I still think we should check out that bell tower," Sora pouted, going back to his drink.

Ed sighed. "Well, maybe we can somehow sneak in? We're still welcome in the church, aren't we?"

"Yeah, but we may have to sneak past Frollo anyway. For all we know, he could be working with Maleficent, which means he could already know what we look like," Riku mentioned, standing up just as Clopin was leaving.

Goofy turned to Donald and nodded. "Yeah, we just need to figure out how to get up there..."

"Maybe if just a few of us go. It'd be easier to sneak in then." Alphonse suggested. "I'm too big and my armor makes too much noise so I'll stay here."

"I'll go! It's my job as the bearer of the Kingdom Key!" Sora said triumphantly.

Donald sighed, "And that makes you more elite... how?"

"I'm the original!"

"Right..."

"I'll go!" Ed said, raising his hand. "Since I'm new at this, I'll need someone experienced to show me what to do."

"I'll go too then... Someone needs to keep an eye on the two idiots," Riku said with a smirk.

"HEY!" both Ed and Sora yelled at once.

"I'll stay here with Alphonse then," Kairi offered.

"Maybe three's enough. I'll stay here too," Goofy offered.

"Yeah, we'll sit this one out. Don't screw anything up!" Donald scolded.

Sora saluted, "We know better, Donald! Besides, what could go wrong?"

"A lot of things," Alphonse said, looking directly at his brother, "Remember Lab 5?"

"What happened in Lab 5?"

"My brother the over curious idiot almost got us BOTH killed."

"How was I supposed to know there were two guards at a supposedly abandoned building?" Ed grumbled. "Don't worry, we'll be fine!" he said waving his hand at the others.

"Good luck!" Kairi waved.

"Yeah, yeah. See you guys later. You try to stay out of trouble too," Riku said, glaring at the remaining group.

"Should we look around town anyway?" Goofy whispered as Ed, Sora, and Riku left.

"Yeah, let's see what the locals can tell us," Alphonse said, "See if this 'gypsy outbreak' Frollo's worried about really is justified."

"I highly doubt it is, but it doesn't hurt to ask anyway," Donald replied with a nod and they left as well.

**End chapter 11. Hope you guys liked! We tried going to a world that was never in Kingdom hearts to give it a little more originality XD Chapter 12 coming soon!**


	12. Chapter 12: Notre Dame part 2

**Here you go! Chapter 12! I updated as soon as possible **

**Chapter 12: Notre Dame part 2**

"You wanted to see me, sir?" a man in golden armor spoke as he walked up to Frollo.

The judge turned around and smiled, "Your service record precedes you, Phoebus. I expect nothing but the best from a war hero of your caliber. You know, my last captain of the guard was, um, a bit of a disappointment to me. Well, no matter. You come to Paris in her darkest hour, Captain. It will take a firm hand to save the weak-minded from being so easily misled."

"Misled, sir?" Pheobus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Frollo scowled, "Look, Captain-gypsies. The gypsies live outside the normal order. Their heathen ways inflame the peoples' lowest instincts, and they must be stopped."

"I was summoned from the wars to capture fortune tellers and palm readers?" Pheobus asked, surprised, looking down at the townspeople below getting ready for the festival.

Frollo looked at the floor at a trail of ants. "Oh, the real war, Captain, is what you see before you. For twenty years, I have been taking care of the gypsies, one...by...one." On each of the last three words, he crushed three ants on a tile. He then flipped the tile over, revealing scores of ants scurrying around underneath. "And yet, for all of my success, they have thrived. I believe they have a safe haven, within the walls of this very city. A nest, if you will. They call it the Court of Miracles."

"What are we going to do about it, sir?" Pheobus asked, raising an eyebrow.

Frollo quietly slammed the tile back down upside down, and turns it, crushing the remainder of the ants.

"You make your point quite vividly, sir," Pheobus said, looking at the crushed ants then up to Frollo.

Frollo smiled, "You know, I like you captain. Shall we?" He adjusted his robes and started to leave. He then remembered something. "Oh. Have you ever attended a peasant festival, Captain?"

"Not recently, sir," Pheobus said, hearing the cheers below.

Frollo laughed to himself, "Then this should be quite an education for you. Come along, duty calls."

Pheobus nodded and slowly followed behind Frollo.

"It's so big and pretty!" Sora said, staring at the stained glass of the cathedral. The sun reflecting on it was an added bonus. "I could stare at it all day..."

"Well, keep your voice down!" Ed muttered as he looked around the cathedral. "We are in a church after all. I doubt the religious freaks would appreciate your shouting..." Ed muttered softly.

"We're also being watched out for... Pete could be lurking around somewhere," Riku muttered, but looked up at the stain glass windows as well.

"Ugh, him? I thought we got rid of him a long time ago..." Sora groaned, pushing his bangs back. "Anyway, which way to the bell tower? All I see is a bunch of pews."

"Excuse me, gentlemen, can I help you with something?" It was the Archdeacon, "You seem lost."

"Don't you remember, Sora? He and Maleficent both survived..." Riku muttered and turned to see the Archdeacon. "Umm...Actually, we're looking for someone," he said, not sure if could trust this man or not. "Do you know where we can find someone by the name of Quasimodo?"

"We heard he lives in the bell tower..." Ed added.

"Oh dear..." The Archdeacon said with a frown, "I'm afraid there is no one by that name here. That is just a myth told by the local townspeople. You're here on a wild goose chase."

"Aww... I thought it was too good to be true. Thanks anyway, old man." Sora sighed.

"God be with you, boys!" He said as he bid them a good night.

Ed shrugged. "That was awfully fishy..." Ed muttered.

"I agree. He's probably keeping Quazy a secret..." Riku muttered as he watched the Archdeacon walk away.

Meanwhile, from the rafters, a gargoyle looked over the three boys. "Oh, did you hear that? Those three are looking for Quasimodo! Poor things, we have to keep him a secret for his own safety."

Hugo looked over at the boys as well, munching on who knows what. "What's the big deal? Maybe Quasi can make some new friends," he said while spitting out some crumbs.

"Don't talk with your mouth full, you blubbering idiot!" Lavern said, slapping Hugo across the back, making the other gargoyle choke.

"Shh! Be quiet they'll hear us!" Victor scolded the two.

Sora looked up at the rafters and tilted his head. "Huh? Is someone up there?"

"Too late!"

"Ooooh! Now you've done it!" Laverne said, smacking Hugo again.

Ed looked to Sora and Riku and nodded, pointing to a staircase that led to the top.

Riku looked to make sure no one was watching them and scampered off to the staircase.

"Quick! Let's get to Quasi before they do!" Victor exclaimed quietly as he took off for the bell ringer.

Hugo and Laverne nodded and hoped off to go warn Quasi of his new visitors. "Quasi! Quasi!" Hugo yelled quietly to his friend.

Sora nodded and followed his best friend quietly. The staircase was dark and cramped, only one person could climb it at a time, and it made the boy shudder. Whoever Quasimodo was, he may have had a pure heart, but his living space was a bit unwelcome.

Ed shrugged. "This is a bit uncomfortable..." he said, following close behind Riku who was leading up front. "It's easy to get caught here..."

"I agree," Riku said, climbing the stairs quickly to the top before anyone saw them.

Quasimodo looked over from his table and smiled at the gargoyles. "Oh, hey guys. What's with all the noise?"

"P-People! Outsiders coming! We have to hide!" Victor said in a breathless panic.

"What? You guys are just pulling my leg."

Sora poked his head over Ed's shoulder, "Shh! There's those voices again!"

Both Riku and Ed stopped, listening. "C'mon. Let's sneak up on them," Riku whispered.

"Won't that just scare them?" Ed asked, glaring at Riku's head. Ed then pushed his way past Riku, being as small as he is, and began walking a little further. "H-Hello! Excuse me!"

"They found us!" Hugo said and turned to stone so the outsiders wouldn't notice them.

"Quick, Quasi! Hide!" Laverne said before turning to stone as well.

Quasimodo panicked and turned to find a place to hide in the darkness.

"Edward! You idiot!" Sora turned to Riku in frustration, "Look what you did! Now our chances of making a new friend are ruined!"

"Friend...?" Quasi whispered to himself.

Victor quickly shifted his eyes towards his fellow gargoyles, "Oops... A case of misjudgment there..."

"What?" Ed asked, looking to Sora. He then turned back toward the room. "We won't hurt you! We're friends!" he said, walking further in to see a bunch of handmade objects and figures. "Wow..."

Riku quietly followed Ed in, looking around. "Wow, these are amazing! Are they hand made?" he asked, about to touch one of the figures.

"Wait!" Called Quasimodo, "Don't touch those, please!"

Sora nearly jumped ten feet in the air. "Whoa! Who is that? Are you Quasimodo? The bell ringer?"

"Y-Yes... but I-I'd rather you not come and find me. Master Frollo would be very upset if you did. We can talk from here if you want."

"Are you afraid of us?"

"No! No, it's not that. I just... don't want you to see me..."

Riku stopped and looked around. "It's alright. We promise we won't be surprised or scared," he said in the direction of the voice.

"We were wondering if you could help us... We're looking for something called a keyhole," Ed stated, then felt a shiver run down his spine. "Uh, guys...?" he said just as something sprung out of the floor. A neo shadow heartless to be exact. "Shit... I knew it!" he said, summoning his keyblade. The neo shadow then circled around Ed and headed in the direction of Quasimodo. "Look out!"

"What in the world is that!" Victor cried in astonishment, becoming animated again.

Sora jumped at the gargoyle's sudden movements, almost forgetting the Neo Shadow. "IT'S ALIVE!"

"Huurraahr!" The bell ringer cried as he grabbed the attacker by the antennae and threw it against the wall, destroying it. He then noticed he was out in the open... exposed... completely visible. He turned his head away in shame and hoped they didn't see him. "S-Sorry! I just couldn't..."

Ed yelped out in surprise at Victor's sudden outburst, quickly spinning around with his keyblade. "W-What the heck?"

"Nice going!" Laverne said, elbowing Victor in the side.

"Whoa! Hold up kid! We're not bad guys!" Hugo said, putting his short fat arms up in defense.

Riku pushed Ed's keyblade down and glared. "We're sorry. We were just surprised is all," he said then turned to Quasimodo. "It's alright. You can come out," he said in a kind voice. He had already seen Quasi's appearance and wasn't at all disgusted by his look.

The hunchback turned around in surprise to see Sora and Riku smiling at him. "You're... not afraid?"

"Of course not! You're a good guy, I can tell! It's that Frollo dude who's ugly," Sora laughed.

"But Master Frollo said I was the one who was ugly... that's why I stay up here... it's for my own protection..."

Sora made a sound like a gameshow buzzer, "WRONG!"

"Yes yes! We're with him!" Victor protested to Edward and pointing to his friend.

Ed made his keyblade disappear and sighed, turning to Quasimodo with a smile as well. "It doesn't matter what your appearance is on the outside, but what's on the inside," he said, placing a hand to his chest where his heart was.

Riku nodded in agreement when he suddenly heard cheers from outside. "What's that?"

"Oh! The feast of fools!" Hugo said and hoped over to the balcony where they looked down on the city below.

"Oh yeah! Clopin did say he was going to a festival, right?" Ed asked, joining the gargoyles on the balcony and looking down below.

Quasimodo sighed, "Every year... I wish I could go..."

"Why not this year?" Sora said with a grin, "Who's gonna find out?"

"My master! If he catches me I...! I don't want to think about what he'd do to me!"

"Well, when he says you're forbidden from ever leaving the bell tower, does he mean 'ever ever?'" Victor asked.

"Never ever! And he hates the Feast of Fools! He'd be furious if I asked to go."

"Who says you gotta ask?" Hugo asked, grinning.

"Yeah! It's not fair you're stuck up here all the time," Ed muttered and pouted. "I wouldn't be able to contain myself if I was locked in some place like this..."

"Oh no," Quasimodo groaned.

Sora grinned slyly, "Ya sneak out..."

"I couldn't-"

"...And ya sneak back in!"

"Better to beg forgiveness than to ask permission." Victor coaxed Quasi as well.

"You can wear a disguise! Just this once. What Frollo doesn't know can't hurt ya!" Hugo said, pulling a blue cloak over his head.

"It's good to have fun every once in awhile," Ed said and smiled.

Riku tensed when he heard footsteps approaching up the stairs. "Crap! Guys, someone's coming! We need to hide!" he hissed.

Sora and the gargoyles panicked a bit, unlike Edward and Riku. The gargoyles however, were able to turn into stone, while it took Sora a while to hide in the dark with his friends.

The ominous visitor of course, was Judge Frollo. "Good morning, Quasimodo."

"Ah-um... Good morning, master."

"Dear boy, whomever are you talking to?"

Sora almost spoke up, but a hand was placed over his mouth before he could even breathe.

Quasimodo gulped. "My... friends."

"I see..." Frollo walked over to Hugo and tapped on his head. "And what are your friends made of, Quasimodo?"

"Stone."

"Can stone talk?"

"No, it can't."

"That's right. You're a smart lad. Now... lunch."

Meanwhile, Alphonse's armor made quite the sound as his feet hit the cobblestone pavement. He was amazed at all the preparations going on in the city. "Look at all the streamers... I've never seen anything to this scale before."

"Not a party person, huh?" Donald asked.

"No, it's just that my brother and I are from a small town in the country, that's all."

"Well, Sora, Riku and I are from an island, so we hardly get to see stuff like this too," she said, smiling as she looked at all the decorations and saw a few dancers run by.

Alphonse looked over and then saw a dancer on the side of the road. She was a beautiful dark skinned young woman with long flowing black hair and charming green eyes. A young child was about to give the dancer some money before his mother pulled him away. "Stay away, child-they're gypsies. They'll steal us blind."

If armor could frown, it could. He looked over at his friends and asked for some munny to give her.

Before Al could do anything, a man with blond hair and a beard, wearing gold armor walked over to the girl and dropped a few coins in her hat smiling at her beauty.

The girl smiled and winked as she danced with her tambourine.

Kairi pulled out a few munny and gave it to Al. "At least not everyone thinks gypsies are bad," she said, smiling at the man.

Alphonse giggled and he went over to the dancer and deposited the money. "You're very talented." He said simply.

Esmarelda smiled at the armored boy. "Thank you. Are you a part of the festival too?" she asked, looking at his strange clothing.

Alphonse stepped back in alarm. "Uh... uh.. no! I'm not dressed up! This is how I always look!"

"Al! Very important military guy coming your way!" Donald called.

"Good," Frollo said as he took out a basket with food in it, "Your bible?"

Quasimodo reluctantly stood up and walked over to where Ed, Sora, and Riku were hiding. He silently gestured to them to get it for him.

"The bells sounded particularly beautiful today, Quasimodo. And prompt as usual. I could tell, everyone enjoyed them." Frollo said as he prepared the food.

"Thank you master!" He said back quickly.

Riku shrugged, slowly grabbing the bible and handed it to Quasi without making too much noise.

The space they were hiding in was extremely cramped and Ed moved his hand from Sora's mouth, trying not to hit Riku in the process, but instead, accidentally knocked over a metal bowl from the shelf they were hiding behind. Ed quickly ducked his head down and looked at Quasi nervously.

Riku just glared at Ed, expecting Sora to be the one to do something like that.

Quasi winced as he looked back at his master, who stared at him in confusion. He smiled sheepishly and quickly returned to the table. Frollo shook his head and went back to business.

"Shall we review your alphabet today?"

"Yes, master. I would like that very much."

"Very well. A?"

"Abomination."

"B?"

"Blasphemy."

"C?"

"C-c-c-contrition."

"D?"

"Damnation."

"E?"

"Eternal Damnation!"

"Good. F?"

"Festival."

Frollo spit out his drink at the incorrect response. In the darkness Sora winced. "This can't be good..."

Both Ed and Riku watched fearfully at what was going to happen to Quasi. The man obviously didn't look pleased.

"If he hurts Quasi, I'm jumping in..." Ed muttered quietly.

"Don't rush in. Let's just wait," Riku said, glaring at both Ed and Sora as well.

"Excuse me?" Frollo asked menacingly.

Quasimodo nearly fell out of his chair, "F-Forgiveness!"

"You said... festival."

"No!"

"You are thinking about going to the festival."

Quasimodo had to recover... fast. "It's just that...you go every year."

"I am a public official. I must go! But I don't enjoy a moment. Thieves and hustlers and the dregs of humankind, all mixed together in a shallow, drunken stupor."

"I didn't mean to upset you, master."

"Quasimodo, can't you understand? When your heartless mother abandoned you as a child, anyone else would have drowned you. And this my thanks for taking you in and raising you as my son?"

Sora gasped at the horrible lie that came from the judge's mouth. "That... that bastard!" He hissed.

"Shhhh!" Ed hissed at Sora and glared at Frollo through the bookshelf as the two walked outside.

"Don't worry, Sora. We'll get him later," Riku muttered.

Quasimodo looked down in defeat. "I'm sorry, sir."

Frollo put a hand on Quasi's back. "Oh, my dear Quasimodo, you don't know what it's like out there. The world is cruel and wicked and it is I alone whom you can trust in this city. I am your only friend. I who keep you, teach you, feed you, dress you, I who look upon you without fear. How can I protect you unless you always stay in here? You are deformed and ugly,"

"Deformed... Ugly..." Quasi said quietly to himself.

"And these are crimes for which the world shows little pity. You do not comprehend that out there, they'll revile you as a monster. They will hate with scorn and jeer. Why invite their calumny and consternation? Stay in here and be faithful in me. Do as I say... Obey... And stay in here." The judge then began to leave as Quasimodo spoke to him one last time.

"I'll... stay in here. You are good to me, master. I'm sorry."

"You are forgiven. But remember, Quasimodo: this is your sanctuary." And with that he left.

"Yeah... sanctuary..."

Once Frollo left, Ed came out from behind the bookshelf, very frustrated. "I thought he would NEVER leave!" he muttered out angrily.

"Yeah, well, it's a good thing we weren't caught..." Riku said, shrugging, coming out as well.

"Our cover was blown a couple of times," Victor said sternly, looking over at Sora as he reanimated.

The keybearer snorted, "Well, I was disgusted! What do you expect me to do?"

Quasimodo sighed and re-entered the bell tower. "I'm sorry you had to see that, guys. This happens every time..."

"Yeah, well, forget what long nose says! I say you should go to the festival anyway!" Hugo said, becoming re-animated as well.

"Now! Now! Let's not put pressure on the poor boy," Laverne said.

Ed stuck his hands in his pockets. "Speaking of festival, I wonder what Al and the others are doing."

"Probably at the festival..." Riku muttered, rolling his eyes. He then turned and looked at Quasimodo. "Go to the festival. We'll be there too."

The bell ringer smiled. "Well... if you guys are going to be there, then I see no harm in it."

"Yahoo! We're going to have so much fun!" Sora cheered.

"Alright, then we'll see you later!" Ed said and grinned, turning to leave as he raised his hand to wave.

"Just... be careful, okay?" Riku said to Quasimodo before following after Ed.

"Don't forget your disguise!" Sora called, throwing the cape back at the bell ringer. "See ya there!"

Quasimodo looked over at the gargoyles with a smile. "You think it'll work?"

"I have full faith in you, Quasi," Victor said, putting a hand on his back.

Hugo and Laverne both smiled and gave the boy a thumbs up. "We have faith in you, Quasi."


	13. Chapter 13: Notre Dame part 3

**Okay, guys! Important notice! This will be the last chapter for awhile. My friend and I have been pretty busy and we don't know when we'll both be able to get online and role-play again. So it'll take us some time to post chapter 14. So, I'm sorry to make you guys wait, but in the meantime, enjoy chapter 13 ^_^**

**Chapter 13: Notre Dame part 3**

"Al! Very important military guy coming your way!" Donald called.

Just then a boy on top of a wall whistled. Esmarelda gasped as the others ran for cover. Her goat Djali grabbed the hat with the money in it, but the coins scattered everywhere. Esmarelda quickly ran back to collect the change when two guards showed up.

"Alright, gypsies, where'd ya get the money?"

"For your information, I earned it!" Esmarelda said, holding the hat full of coins close.

"Gypsies don't earn money," the guard said, glaring.

"Yes she did!" Alphonse cried, stepping up to Esmeralda's defense, "I gave it to her!"

"Alphonse!" Donald hissed.

Esmarelda gasped as Al came to defend her.

"I bet she stole it!" the other guard said.

"You would know a lot about stealing!" Esmarelda spat.

"Troublemaker!"

"Maybe a day in the stocks will cool you down."

Meanwhile, the man who previously gave Esmarelda money was watching all this go on. The girl made a quick escape as the guards tried to chase her down. The man pulled his horse out, blocking the guard's way and the guard falls to the ground.

"Achilles! Sit!" the man said and his horse sat on top of the guard. "Oh dear! I'm sorry! Naughty horse! He's just impossible! Really, I can't take him anywhere."

Kairi let out a giggle at that action, a bit too loudly.

Alphonse did the same and applauded the man. "Wow! Who're you!"

"Name's Phoebus. It means... Sun God," he said and smirked a bit.

"GET THIS THING OFF ME!" the guard under the horse yelled.

"I'll teach you a lesson, peasant!" the other guard said, pulling out a knife.

Phoebus smirked and pulled out his sword, pointing it at the guard. "You were saying...Lieutenant?"

"Oh, C-c-captain!" The guard said and saluted but ended up hitting himself in the head instead. "D'ow! A-at your service, sir!"

Alphonse nearly fell backward and he grew stiff. "M-Military! S-Sir!"

"You're not a guard," Donald said to the boy in confusion.

"N-No, but back home my brother and I are in the military! This is a natural reflex!"

Phoebus turned to look at Alphonse and smiled. "At ease, soldier. You're not part of the military too, are you?' he asked, looking at Al curiously.

"No, actually he's not," Kairi said. She didn't actually know that Al wasn't in the military, but she didn't want him giving away that they were from another world either.

"Gwarsh! Where did that girl go?" Goofy asked, seeing that Esmarelda was gone.

"QUACK! He's right! She's gone!" Donald said in surprise.

But Alphonse didn't want Phoebus to worry about the gypsy, so he redirected his attention, "Yeah, Kairi's right, sir. I may dress in armor, but I'm not in the military. Umm... so you're a captain, right? What does that mean?"

"Well, I'm a commanding officer. I just returned from the wars to serve under Judge Frollo," he said and scratched the back of his head, frowning at what Frollo told him before.

"Oh, I see..." Kairi said and frowned. _'He's serving Frollo? But he doesn't seem like a bad guy...'_ she thought.

"Well, anyway, I'm heading to the festival. Are you four going?" Phoebus asked and smiled.

Alphonse nodded. "Hopefully I find my brother and the rest of our friends there. I'm sure they won't pass up a good party!"

"So what exactly is this festival for, Captain?" Donald asked.

"It's the Festival of Fools. Something the peasants put together every year. And please, just call me Phoebus," he said, moving his horse off the guard. He then put his sword down, cutting off part of the guard's mustache. "I know you have a lot on your mind right now, but...the festival?"

As if knowing what the Captain was saying, the two guards quickly got to work and started making a path for Phoebus and his new friends to the festival. "Make way! Make way for the Captain!"

"My name's Kairi. This is Al, Donald, and Goofy," she said, smiling as the group walked along.

"It's a pleasure, young miss," he said, smiling at the girl when something caught his eye. He stopped and bent down to pick up the few gold coins on the road and walked by an "old man" with a pipe, dropping the few coins in the hat as he and the others walked by.

The old man was really Djali and Esmarelda under a cloak. She watched curiously as the group passed her and smiled.

It was a good thing Al wasn't very observant, as he probably would have called out Djali and Esmeralda. "So how long have you been here in Paris, Mr. Phoebus? What made you go from combat to guard duty? To me that sounds like a demotion rather than a promotion."

"The judge must be very powerful to have that kind of influence to be able to do that," Donald added.

"Well, they needed a new Captain of the Guard and since they needed someone, they choose me as the best man to do it," Phoebus said as they got closer to the festival. He noticed Frollo exit the church and turned to the others. "If you'll excuse me, I must be off. You guys have fun," and with that he went to go meet up with the judge himself.

"See you later," Goofy said and watched as Phoebus took off.

"I wonder where Sora and the others are..." Kairi muttered, just as the three came out of the church a few minutes later when the Judge wasn't looking.

"Just look for a blond antennae, you can't miss my brother!" Alphonse giggled.

Donald laughed, "Sora's easy to pick out in a crowd too! He's usually the one causing the most trouble."

"Just like Brother!"

"It's a wonder how those two are keyblade masters," Kairi said and giggled.

* * *

"Well, now that's out of the way..." Riku said, shoving his hands in his pockets. He was a bit disappointed that they didn't find the keyhole, but then again, even the people of the world didn't know where the keyholes were. He then looked up at the big crowd gathering for the festival. "So how are we going to find the others?"

"Simple. Look for a giant suit of armor," Ed said, putting a hand to his forehead, trying to see through the crowd. He then turned to Sora and glared. "Give me a boost!"

"Why me?" Sora pouted at Edward, "Why not get Riku to do it? He's taller!"

Riku just glared at Ed. "Don't even think about it!"

"See?" Ed said, pointing to Riku. "That's why I didn't ask him. Now bend down and hold still!" he said, beginning to climb on Sora's back.

"Hey hey hey! I said no!" Sora yelled in protest, but Edward was like a monkey made of glue.

"Ouch! Dammit, you're heavy! Ed! That's my hair! OWWW! YOU AND YOUR STUPID HEAVY AUTOMAIL!"

That shouting echoed across the plaza and it made Alphonse turn his head. "Huh? Was that Sora?"

"What are those two up to? Riku, why aren't you preventing this from happening..." Donald said to himself.

Ed finally managed to get on Sora's shoulders and began looking through the crowd.

Riku looked at the two and sweat dropped. "You two are idiots..." he muttered but tried to hold back his laughter. Normally he would stop the two, but this WAS the festival of "fools," right?

"AHA! Found them!" Ed yelled, pointing over to Al and the others, but lost his balance as the two toppled over. "W-WAAAH! ...Ooof!"

"Oh dear... Those two are something else..." Kairi muttered, putting a hand to her forehead as she sighed.

"M...My head..." Sora groaned as he lay on his back, dazed and confused.

Alphonse quickly ran over to his brother, Sora, and Riku, able to make a path for himself and his friends because he was so big. He helped Edward to his feet and asked him if he was alright. "Ed? What happened? What did the bell ringer say? Will he help us find the keyhole?"

Ed groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. "Well, actually, it was hard enough trying to get him to trust us," he said and looked up at the bell tower. "We were interrupted by Frollo and had to hide."

"We at least got him to agree to come down to the festival. We can find him then and speak more with him," Riku said, looking up to see a small figure scaling the side of the building. _'Is he CRAZY?'_

"Well, that's wonderful! I would like to meet him too!" Kairi said, clapping her hands together and not noticing the figure climbing down the side of the church.

"Looks like they're getting ready to start!" Goofy said, pointing as music sounded and a small parade began walking into the square.

At once the town seemed to break into song:

_"Come one, come all!  
Leave your loops and milking stools  
Coop the hens and pen the mules  
Come one, come all!  
Close the churches and the schools  
It's the day for breaking rules  
Come and join the Feast... Of ..."_

_"Fools!"_ Clopin laughed, "Hahaha!" Obviously he was the mastermind behind the entire festivities this year.

_No wonder he took off in a hurry!_ Alphonse thought as he enjoyed the continuation of the show:

_"Once a year we throw a party here in town  
Once a year we turn all Paris upside down  
Ev'ry man's a king and ev'ry king's a clown  
Once again it's Topsy Turvy Day  
It's the day the devil in us gets released  
It's the day we mock the prig and shock the priest  
Ev'rything is topsy turvy at the Feast of Fools!"_

Sora laughed at the festivites and couldn't help but join in the fun.

_"Topsy Turvy!"_

_"Everything is upsy-daisy!"_

_"Topsy Turvy!"_

_"Ev'ryone is acting crazy  
Dross is gold and weeds are a bouquet  
That's the way on Topsy Turvy Day!"_

This time Ed climbed on top of Al, the armor not protesting like Sora did a moment ago. He smiled, laughing a bit at the fun that was going on.

Kairi took Sora's hands and began dancing with him, laughing.

Sora's face turned pink as he danced with Kariri. He laughed too, even when Riku put a jester's hat on his head. "Hey!"

"It looks good on you, Sora!" Alphonse said, trying to get one for his brother.

"Fits you perfectly!" Donald laughed, "You are a clown!"

Ed glared down at Al. "Don't even think about it!" he said in a sort of growl.

Riku laughed, but then looked around. _'I wonder where Quasi is...'_

"But Ed, you'd look so cute~!" Alphonse giggled.

* * *

Inside her tent, Esmarelda was getting ready for her part of the show, brushing her hair and getting dressed as someone fell through her tent. "Hey!" she yelled surprised, afraid it was some pervert.

It was Quasimodo. He stumbled around a bit, dazed from what just happened. The crowd had been rough with him and he was shoved into the tent. He pulled the hood to his cape over his head in embarrassment, "I didn't mean to... I'm sorry."

"Oh, you're not hurt are you?" she asked, going over to help him up as she tied her robe around herself. She then reached forward, lifting up his face and fixed his hood, even with Quasimodo protesting. "There."

Her goat, Djali made a disgusted face at his appearance, but he didn't seem to notice.

"Just try to be careful next time," she said, smiling as she lead him back outside.

Quasimodo blushed and smiled as well, "I-I-I will!"

"By the way… Great mask!" she said before going back inside her tent.

* * *

Sora laughed, "The smallest clowns are always the funniest!" He meant it in a teasing way, but Edward would have exploded if it wasn't for the festivities picking up again.

_"Topsy Turvy!  
Beat the drums and blow the trumpets  
Topsy Turvy!  
Join the bums and thieves and strumpets  
Streaming in from Chartres to Calais!  
Scurvy knaves are extra scurvy  
On the sixth of 'Januervy'  
All because it's Topy Turvy Day!"_

Suddenly it grew less loud as Clopin jumped onto a catwalk stage. Behind it, sat Judge Frollo with Phoebus at his side. Clopin began to introduce the next act:

_"Come one, come all!  
Hurry, hurry, here's your chance  
See the myst'ry and romance  
Come one, come all  
See the finest girl in France  
Make an entrance to entrance  
Dance la Esmeralda  
Dance!"_

Ed jumped down, about to smack Sora for that comment, but was interrupted when Clopin threw his hand down, creating an explosion and a puff of smoke and in his place, Esmarelda.

"Hey! It's that girl!" Kairi said as she stopped dancing with Sora, as she pointed to the stage.

"What girl?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow. "You know her?"

"Not really... We briefly met her before the guards chased her off..." Goofy said sadly.

Ed's mouth was hanging open as he watched the girl do her dance.

"Wow... she's better than she was before!" Alphonse said in awe. He looked down at his brother and giggled. "Brother's got a crush~!"

Ed blushed and blinked, trying to hide his face. "What! N-No, I was just amazed by her dancing. She's really good!" he said, covering up.

"She is really pretty!" Sora said as he watched. He then panicked and looked over at Kairi, "Bu-But she's not as pretty as you!"

Kairi smiled and blushed. "Oh, Sora! You're too kind!" she giggled.

"Boys will be boys..." Donald sighed with a smile.

Meanwhile, Frollo sneered at Esmeralda. He turned to Phoebus, "Look at that disgusting display."

Phoebus tilted his helmet up and stared at Esmarelda. "Yes, sir!

Esmarelda pulled out a purple scarf with stars and moons on it and danced over to Frollo, wrapping the scarf around his head playfully, using it to pull him closer. She moves in closer as if she was going to kiss him, but instead, pushes his hat down in front of his face and jumps away.

Disgusted, Frollo pushed his hat back onto his head and ripped the scarf off of him.

The gypsy bowed and stood up after she was done, going to stand at the back of the stage waiting for the contestants to come up on stage and make their ugly faces.

Ed smiled and clapped at Esmarelda's performance, glaring at Al every time he made some kind of gesture or remark.

Clopin brought back the attention onto himself when Esmeralda was finished with her dance and took in the applause. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, the piece de resistance!

_Here it is, the moment you've been waiting for  
Here it is, you know exactly what's in store  
Now's the time we laugh until our sides get sore  
Now's the time we crown the King of Fools!_

You all remember last year's king!"

A bloated ugly man with a crown on his head belched loudly as he was carried on the crowd's shoulders. Sora couldn't help but fall over laughing. Alphonse too couldn't help himself.

"Hey, Sora! You should try out for King of Fools," Riku said, nudging the keybearer in the side.

"Yeah, Sora! Go for it!" Donald said, pushing the boy onto the stage.

"Okay okay!" He laughed, "I just need a mask!" He then quickly swiped Al's helmet for his jester's cap.

"Hey!"

"I'll give it back! I promise!"

Clopin then lined up the contestants one by one as they climbed onto the platform:

_"So make a face that's horrible and frightening  
Make a face as gruesome as a gargoyle's wing  
For the face that's ugliest will be the King of Fools! Why?"_

_"Topsy Turvy!"_

_"Ugly folk, forget your shyness!"_

_"Topsy Turvy!"_

_"You could soon be called Your Highness!  
Put your foulest features on display  
Be the king of Topsy Turvy Day!"_

But the last of the contestants to be pulled on was to Sora and the gang's horror: Quasimodo.

Esmarelda smiled as she pulled Quasi on the stage before going back to the front of the line.

Ed slapped his face as Sora stole Al's helmet, hoping no one noticed Al's emptiness, but suddenly became worried about something completely different. "Quasi!"

"What? Where?" Kairi asked, looking around.

"There!" Ed said, pointing to the one at the end next to Sora.

Esmarelda pulled the first mask off and the crowd booed. Djali pushed the guy off the stage as she went to the next one. 5 more were pushed off and Esmarelda got to Sora, pulling his helmet off and throwing it to the crowd. Luckily Ed caught it in time before it got lost, handing it back to his brother.

Sora stuck out his tongue and pulled on his bottom eye lids. He also pushed his lower jaw out to expose his lower teeth. He shot a quick glance at Quasi to assure him everything would be okay. But it wouldn't be. Sora was rejected off the stage same as the others.

"Oh no! Sora lost! That means-!" Alphonse said, putting his head back on.

Donald gulped, "They're going to find out!"

Kairi went over to Sora and helped him out of the mud.

Esmarelda went over to Quasi and tugged on his face, only to find out that it wasn't a mask and gasped.

"That's no mask!"

"That's his face!"

"He's hideous!" the crowd shouted, all in shock at his appearance.

Ed just glared at them all. _'Bunch of bastards...'_ he thought of the crowd.

Quasimodo, realizing that people were disgusted by him, grew devastated. Frollo was horrified to see that that the only man left standing on stage was the bell ringer and he became enraged, almost leaping to his feet and killing him himself. Clopin, seeing the disruption quickly changes things to try keeping things festive by jumping in.

"Ladies and gentlemen, don't panic. We asked for the ugliest face in Paris, and here he is! Quasimodo, the hunchback of Notre Dame!"

Suddenly the crowd roared in approval and Quasimodo smiled as Clopin crowned him. Sora and the others, at first sighed in relief, and then cheered for their friend.

"Way to go, Quasi!" Sora called.

Alphonse applauded, "I'm so glad things worked out!"

Clopin then threw his arms up in the air, "Ev'rybody!" And on his que, the entire square sang in celebration,

_"Once a year we throw a party here in town!"_

_"Hail to the king!"_

_"Once a year we turn all Paris upside down!"_

_"Oh, what a king!"_

_"Once a year, the ugliest will wear a crown!"_

_"Girls, give a kiss!"_

_"Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day!"_

_"We've never had a king like this! All together!"_

_"And it's the day we do the things that we deplore  
On the other three hundred and sixty-four  
Once a year we love to drop in  
Where the beer is never stoppin  
For the chance to pop some popinjay  
And pick a king who'll put the "top" in  
Topsy Turvy Day!  
Mad and crazy, upsy-daisy, Topsy Turvy Day!"_

The audience erupted into cheers, the three gargoyles at the top of the bell tower, cheered and 'woot'ed their friend as well.

The gang sighed in relief, happy for their friend, until one of the guards shoved Riku in the side. "You think he's ugly now? Watch this!" he said and threw a tomato at Quasi.

The crowd paused their cheers and gasped at the sight, then, they erupted into laughter.

"Hey! How dare you!" Riku yelled, ready to punch the guard in the face, but was interrupted by another guard.

"Hail to the king!" the other guard yelled, throwing a second tomato.

Soon, Quasimodo was being pelted with produce of all kinds and shouts came from all directions. The kids were pushed away as they tried to reach their friend.

"Quasi!" Alphonse called.

Sora tried to push his way through the crowd with his keyblade, but the mob was too much, "No!"

Quasimodo was then suddenly lassoed and tied down on to a rotating platform. He spun around, as onlookers continue their torment. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Frollo watching and shouts for help. "Master! Master, please! Help me!"

"What do we do!" Ed yelled, his keyblade summoned as well, but trying to force his way through the crowd was useless.

"Permission to stop this cruelty, sir?" Phoebus asked as he sat on top of his horse.

But Frollo shook his head and held up his hand. "In just a moment, Captain. A lesson needs to be learned here."

As soon as he said it, the crowd gasped and went silent. Even Sora and Edward stopped struggling to see what was happening. Phoebus and Frollo looked up to the stage to see Esmeralda ascending the steps. As she kneels next to Quasimodo, he winces away from her.

"You! Gypsy girl! Get down at once!" Frollo called from his throne.

"Yes, your honor! Just as I free this poor creature!" Esmarelda called to Frollo, but when he forbade it, she took out a knife and cut the ropes.

"How DARE you defy me!" Frollo yelled, pointing his boney finger at Esmarelda.

Now that the crowd quieted down, Ed pushed his way to the front, being as small as he is.

"Ed!" Riku hissed, but the boy was out of sight in an instant.

Kairi looked to Riku worried. "What's he up to?"

Esmarelda continued her speech, helping Quasimodo up at the same time. "You mistreat this poor boy the same way you mistreat my people! You speak of justice, yet you are cruel to those in most need of your help," she shouted.

Just then, Pete appeared next to Frollo's throne, grinning evilly at the anger that was building up in Frollo's heart. "You know, it's still not too late to take up my offer," he muttered silently.

Ed then jumped up on the stage, holding his arms up in Quasi and Esmarelda's defense. "She's right! Just because you have power, doesn't mean you can treat people like this!"

Esmarelda was bit surprised that someone else jumped up on the stage in Quasi's defense. "Thank you for your help, but I don't want you getting into trouble too..." she whispered.

Ed blushed a bit, not turning his head to face her. "Don't worry about it..."

"SILENCE! Mark my words, gypsy! You will pay for this insolence!" He turned to Phoebus and pointed to Esmeralda, "Captain Phoebus! Arrest her!" But Phoebus didn't move. Frollo grew even more angered and turned to Pete. "Fine, I accept your proposal! Now take care of those gypsy vermin!"

Ed picked up the 'king of fools' crown from Quasi's head and held it up for everyone to see. "Looks like they crowned the wrong fool. The only fool I see...IS YOU!" he said and threw the crown in Frollo's direction.

Esmarelda smiled and stayed close to Quasimodo.

"See that boy there? He's one of the ones I told you to watch out for," Pete said and smiled, snapping his fingers, making a bunch of Red Nocturne heartless appear around Quasi, Esmarelda and Ed. "Make sure you capture that brat as well. Dead or Alive, it don't make no difference to me."

Ed summoned his keyblade, preparing himself for battle. "I knew this was too good to be true..." he muttered, wondering where his friends were now that the crowd was panicking and running for cover.

"We've got company!" Sora said, summoning his keyblade as well.

Alphonse nodded and drew his blade, "I'm glad everyone cleared out. Makes it easier to fight these guys!"

Frollo immediately mounted his horse and it reared. He pointed to his guards, "Arrest that woman for witchcraft! I want her alive!"

"Get out of here!" Ed snapped at Esmarelda and Quasimodo.

Esmarelda nodded and led Quasi away from the heartless before escaping from the guards herself.

"Don't use fire!" Donald told the Elrics, "These Heartless are immune!"

Ed hopped off the stage and began slashing at each heartless that he came in contact with. "NO FIRE!" he yelled in anger. "But that's the only spell I know!"

Esmarelda jumped over the guards, the other gypsies, clowns, and mimes helping her along the way. She then ran back toward Ed and threw something at him. "Use this!" she yelled, a blue orb floating toward Ed's keyblade, making it glow a light blue.

"It's cold..." Ed said, staring down at his keyblade in shock.

"It's the blizzard spell! Quick, use it, Ed!" Goofy yelled, smacking some of the heartless with his shield.

Ed nodded and aimed his keyblade at the heartless. "Freeze!" he yelled, the fiery beasts turning to ice cubs before shattering to nothing but a floating heart that soon disappeared into the sky.

Esmarelda saw a couple of guards on horses come after her and quickly ran to a clown on stilts, pulling his pants down. The guard ran into the trousers and, acting like a rubber band, was flung back into the sky, his helmet landing on Esmarelda's head. She then took it off and bowed before throwing it at three more guards, knocking them all of their horsees and barely missing Phoebus' head.

"What a woman!" Phoebus stated just after ducking from what would have been a fatal blow.

"Freeze! Freeze! Freeze!" Donald said as he used spell after spell on the assaulting Heartless.

Alphonse and Sora on the other hand, just used brute force. "Goofy! Give me strength!" Sora called, as he turned into his Valor Form.

"Woah! Impressive!" Al said as he swung his sword, "How'd you do that!"

Meanwhile, Frollo approached a defeated Quasimodo.

"I'm sorry, Master. I will never disobey you again..."

The judge nodded and escorted Quasi back into the cathedral before turning and leaving himself.

As the fight went on, the sky grew dark and it began to rain.

Esmarelda had taken out most of the guards and stood atop of a platform, pulling a large purple cloth over her and disappeared underneath it as two men on stilts picked it up to reveal nothing underneath.

Riku swatted at the remaining heartless and looked around for any sign of Pete or Frollo.

Ed shrugged. "Dammit... We need to get out of here too," he said, seeing Esmarelda was gone. "I caused enough trouble already. Frollo is probably after me too," he said, seeing a few guards approach them.

"What about the cathedral? Can't you claim sanctuary there?" Goody asked.

Ed rolled his eyes. "I'm not the religious type of person, but it's worth a shot..." he muttered and ran past the guards, knocking them off their horses.

**End chapter 13. I hope you guys enjoyed! I promise I will try and get chapter 14 up as soon as possible.**


	14. Chapter 14: Notre Dame part 4

**Hey guys! Sorry it took so long! I finally got around to Role playing again. So here's chapter 14!**

**Chapter 14: Notre Dame part 4**

When they all took refuge in the sanctuary, Alphonse (being the tallest) took a head count. He sighed at the end result.

"What's the matter?" Sora asked, "Everyone's here."

"Not everyone. Quasi's gone."

"Maybe the judge took him away somewhere," Donald suggested, "I'm sure he's okay."

Alphonse shook his head, "I don't know... that was one scary old man. I mean, he gave me the creeps. And did you see that dark aura?"

"Pete," Sora replied with a frustrated huff.

Ed sighed. "Maybe he's back up in the bell tower..." he mumbled. He then looked over to see that they weren't alone. "OH! It's you!" Ed said and blushed a bit.

The gypsy girl, Esmarelda, turned to the group a bit surprised. "Oh! Hello..." she said and smiled. "Sorry, I thought you guys were a couple of Frollo's guards..."

"Oh no! Don't worry, we won't tell them anything! We're actually glad you're okay," Kairi said and looked to Sora and Riku. "Right?"

"Y-Yeah..." Sora said blushing sheepishly.

Alphonse nodded. If armor could wear its emotions...

"Have you seen Quasimodo anywhere?" Donald asked her, "We're worried about him... I mean, after what happened and all."

Esmarelda shook her head sadly. "No... If I knew who he was, I would have never pulled him up on the stage..." she said sadly.

"It's not your fault. You didn't know..." Ed said and frowned. "Oh! By the way, thanks for the new power," he said, referring to the blizzard attack he received earlier.

"No problem. After all, I couldn't make very much use of it..." she said and smiled, but her smile suddenly turned upside down when she saw the man in gold armor walk in behind the group. She quickly pushed past the group and shoved Phoebus to the ground, pulling out his sword and pointing it to his neck. "YOU!"

"E-Easy, easy-I just shaved this morning!" he said, holding up his hands in defense.

"Oh really? You missed a spot!"

"It's Captain Phoebus!" Alphonse exclaimed in alarm.

Sora looked at the armor and then at the man on the floor, "Hey! He was with Frollo!"

"But he's not a bad guy!"

"Al's right, Sora!" Donald exclaimed, "He actually helped the gypsies before!"

Phoebus nodded to the others then looked to Esmarelda. "All right, all right. Just calm down. Just give me a chance to apologize!"

Esmarelda sneered at him, despite the others' protests. "For what?"

Phoebus then grabs the sword back from her and knocks her down. "That, for example."

"Why you sneaky son of a-" she growled, but Phoebus interrupted her.

"Ah, ah, ah! Watch it-you're in a church."

"Are you always this charming or am I just lucky?" she asked, getting up.

Ed snorted and rolled his eyes, crossing his arms.

Riku smirked at him and shoved him in the side. "Jealous?"

"NO!"

Sora and Donald snickered as well. Alphonse on the other hand was more concerned with the Captain's presence. "What the heck is he doing here?"

"I dunno, but he seems to be on a date with Esmerelda," Sora laughed.

"Hmmm... It's not really going all that well for him, is it?"

Esmarelda then takes a candle staff and swings it at Phoebus, but he blocks it with his sword.

"Ah! Candlelight...music... Can't think of a better place for hand-to-hand combat! You fight almost as well as a man," Phoebus laughed as the two fought.

"Funny...I was going to say the same thing about you!"

"That's hitting a little below the belt, don't you think?"

"No...this is," she said and was about to hit him in the crotch, but Phoebus blocks with his sword. She then quickly hits him in the face with the other end of the staff.

Phoebus shakes it off. "Touche!" he said just as Djali head butts him in the chest. "I didn't know you had a kid..."

"Well, he doesn't take too kindly to soldiers..." Esmarelda said, putting the staff back down.

"Eh...I noticed," he said, holding his chest. "Permit me. I'm Phoebus. It means... Sun God," he said and smirked. Esmarelda and Djali just looked at each other.

Ed rolled his eyes again. "Sun God? That has nothing to do with Letoism, does it?" he asked, disgusted.

"Er...no, I don't think so," Phoebus said, almost forgetting the others were there with them. "And you are?" he asked Ed.

"Is this an interrogation?" Ed asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's called an introduction."

"So you're not arresting us?" Esmarelda asked, surprised.

"Well, not as long as you're in here. I can't."

"Oh, thank goodness," Alphonse sighed, "Claiming sanctuary actually was a good idea then."

"You really think he'd arrest us anyway?" Donald asked the armored boy.

"No, but you never know who's watching."

Sora shuddered at those words, "That sounds creepier than you think, Al."

Riku nodded. "Yeah, thanks a lot, Al... I'm sure Pete wouldn't give a crap whether we claimed sanctuary or not."

Phoebus blinked at the group. "Pete? Who's that?"

"You mean you don't know?" Kairi asked.

Phoebus just shook his head. "Nope, no clue..."

"Then you're probably just one of Frollo's puppets," Ed mumbled, but not loud enough for Phoebus to hear.

"You're not like other soldiers..." Esmarelda said, looking up at his face.

"Thank you."

"So if you're not going to arrest us, what do you want?"

"I'd settle for your names first," he said to her than looked to the others. "There are some new faces here."

"I'm Riku. This is Edward and Sora. I'm sure you've met the others."

Phoebus smiled and nodded. "Pleasure. It's also good to see you guys again," he said then turned back to Esmarelda.

"Esmarelda," she said and smiled.

"Beautiful... Much better than Phoebus anyway."

"Brother!" Alphonse scolded, lightly jabbing Ed in the ribs for that previous comment. But before another word could be said, Frollo and his guards appeared at the door of the cathedral.

"Good work, Captain! Now arrest her!"

Sora jumped a bit and then his confidence came back. "Wait," he whispered to the others, "We claimed sanctuary! He can't get us in here! You better do it too, Esmerelda!"

"I'm waiting, Captain!" Frollo called, getting impatient.

Phoebus quickly looked to Esmarelda. "Claim sanctuary!"

She just glared at him.

"Say it!" he whispered loudly.

"You ticked me..." she snarled.

When she didn't say it, Phoebus quickly turned around and faced Frollo. "I'm sorry, sir. They claim sanctuary. There's nothing I can do," he said and folded his arms behind his back.

Ed huffed and glared daggers at Frollo. _'Like he cares!'_ he thought, but stayed hidden behind Al a bit. He wasn't going to take a chance. Not after the trouble he caused.

Frollo growled and the dark aura surrounded him again. "Then drag them outside at-!"

But before any Heartless could appear and Sora could summon his keyblade, the Archdecon came out of his quarters. "Frollo! You will not touch them!" He approached the group and smiled warmly, "Don't worry. Minister Frollo learned years ago to respect the sanctity of the church." At the Judge's name, the Archdeacon looked at him and sneered.

The judge then approached Esmerelda and hissed, "You think you've outwitted me, but I am a patient man, and gypsies don't do well inside stone walls..." He paused and breathed deeply, smelling her hair.

"What are you doing!" Alphonse exclaimed in frustration.

"I was just imagining a rope around that beautiful neck."

"I know what you were thinking, you sicko!" Sora growled.

"Such clever witches. So typical of your kind, to twist the truth to cloud the mind with unholy thoughts. Well, no matter. You've chosen a magnificent prison, but it is a prison nonetheless. Set one foot outside, and you're mine!" And with that he left.

Djali started head butting Phoebus. "All right, all right! I'm going!" he said and started to exit the church.

Ed was about to run up to Frollo and punch him in the face, but just stood next to Esmarelda when he left. "Bastard!" he yelled a bit too loudly.

Riku quickly put a hand over Ed's mouth and told him to shut up. One, because they were in a church and two, they wanted to avoid causing anymore trouble at the moment.

Kairi sighed. "Now what do we do? We're stuck in here!"

Esmarelda quickly ran to the door and pulled it open, looking outside to see guards. "Frollo's orders. Post a guard at every door." Frustrated, she then slammed the door shut and Djali walks up to her. "Don't worry, Djali-If Frollo thinks he can keep us in here, he's wrong."

The archdeacon shook his head. "Don't act rashly, my children. You created quite a stir at the festival. It would be unwise to arouse Frollo's anger further."

"You saw what he did out there, letting the crowd torture Quasi!" Sora protested.

But again, the archdeacon shook his head. "You can't right all the wrongs in this world by yourselves." He then bid them a good night and retired to his chambers.

"Well, no one out there's gonna help, that's for sure..." Kairi said and sighed.

"You think maybe I could transmute us a door and get us the heck out of here?" Ed asked, looking at all the walls.

"Transmute?" Esmarelda asked, raising an eyebrow. "You mean like an alchemist?" She knew what alchemy was, but she had never seen it performed before. The only alchemist she had ever heard of was one named Nicholas Flamel.

Ed grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, my brother and I are alchemists..."

"Still...we don't know this building very well. We don't know where your exit will lead us. And it could cause attention..." Riku mentioned.

"We are already being accused of witchcraft, Ed," Alphonse warned.

Sora shoved his hands in his pockets, "Well, Frollo was right. I myself don't do well behind walls for a long period of time. But if this is the safest place we can stay..."

"Reminds me too much of Liore," Al thought a loud. As he said this, he walked down the aisles past the pews where praying parishioners muttered their wishes to God. "But the cathedral sure is prettier... I really enjoy the stained glass."

Ed shrugged as he walked down the aisles with his brother, shoving his hands in his pockets. "They all look the same to me..." he muttered angrily.

"Must have been some pretty bad experience, huh?" Kairi asked Ed, seeing that he got moody every time they talked about religion.

"You have no idea... God must hate me or something."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm an outcast too..." Esmarelda said and looked up at the statue they were standing in front of. "I wonder if He will listen to any prayers from us..." she said sadly and looked to the ground. "My people need help…"

Alphonse didn't want to tell Esmerelda that he, like his brother, was an atheist, but he humored her. "Yeah, I hope someone will listen. If anything, we need some kind of hope."

"I get the feeling that Alphonse is an optimist while his brother's a pessimist," Sora whispered to his friends.

"Well," Donald snickered, "I'm sure Ed would argue that he's a realist, not a pessimist."

"What's the difference?"

"Uh, well...I think realist looks at thing as they are and a pessimist looks at life negatively. That won't be good when we get back on the gummi ship. We need to make sure Ed is smiling!" Goofy said and smiled.

Riku sighed and shook his head. "Never mind..."

Esmarelda sighed. "I hope so... I need some kind of sign that things will be alright for my people. I don't even care what happens to me..."

Ed shrugged. He knew how she felt. He would do anything to make sure his brother was safe, even if it meant giving up his own life.

As they all talked amongst themselves, Quasimodo had climbed down from the bell tower to the steeple to check up on his new friends. But he lost his footing and knocked over a candelabra. A parishioner spotted him and stood up.

"You! Bell ringer! What are you doing down here! Haven't you caused enough trouble already?"

Sora whipped his head in the direction the man was shouting and he too saw the hunchback. "Quasi!"

But he was too shocked to notice Sora had greeted him warmly. He then began to run back up to his roost.

"Wait!" Esmarelda called and chased after Quasimodo before anyone could say anything. "I want to talk to you!"

"Well, let's go follow them," Kairi said and took off second.

"I guess maybe we should have just gone up to the bell tower in the first place," Ed said and sighed.

"That may sound like a good idea now, but I doubt it would have been a good idea before," Alphonse said, chasing after his brother.

Sora shrugged, "Whatever gets us to Quasi faster. Quasi! Quasi! It's us! Your friends!"

But the bell ringer didn't hear him as he stumbled into his chambers. At the same time, his gargoyle friends began to encourage him.

"Congratulations!" Victor exclaimed.

"Got the girls chasing you already!" Hugo said, nudging Quasi in the side.

"Here you are. I was afraid I lost you," Esmarelda said, finally catching up to Quasimodo.

Kairi pounced out after her, a big smile on her face. "So you're Quasimodo! Nice to meet you!"

"Oh look! He has two girls chasing after him!" Hugo whispered to Lavern and Victor so Esmarelda or Kairi wouldn't notice them.

Just then Ed and the others ran out as well. "That's a lot of stairs!" Ed huffed.

"Not as much as Yen Sid's Tower," Goofy reminded the boy.

"PLEASE don't remind me of that EVER. AGAIN!"

Quasimodo smiled briefly at Ed, Riku, and Sora, but turned away at the girls and the armor. "Yes. Um, well, I uh, I have chores to do. It was, uh, nice...seeing...you...again. Ohh..."

"I knew he'd be afraid of me, everyone's afraid of me..." Alphonse groaned as he sat down next to the 'frozen' gargoyles. As he did so, Victor shot a quick glance at Al in surprise.

"Quasi," Sora started, approaching him, "Look, we're sorry, we tried to help you back there, but the crowds-"

"It's fine. Like Master Frollo said, I deserved it..."

"No wait!" Esmarelda called as Quasi took off to the safety of his bell tower again. "I'm really sorry about this afternoon! I would never in my life would have...pulled you...up on the...stage..." she said, stopping to examine the room she was standing in, looking at all the handmade decorations. "What is this place?"

Ed came in from behind Esmarelda and smiled. "This is where he lives. He made all of these. Aren't they amazing?" he asked.

"You made all of these, yourself?" she asked.

"Most of them," Quasimodo replied sheepishly, calming down a bit.

Sora smiled, "Finally, you're warming up again! That's the Quasi I know!"

"We barely know him!" Donald hissed to the boy.

"SHHH!"

Alphonse looked at the gargoyles and poked Hugo in curiosity, "So well made, I wonder who carved them?"

Riku looked at the gargoyles confused and wondered why they didn't move this time. "Actually they're..." he then stopped and shook his head. "I don't know..." he said, thinking its best just to let Al believe they're just stone. It's possible they didn't want to become animated because there were too many people here.

"This is beautiful," Esmarelda said, fingering the mobiles. "If I could do this, you wouldn't find me dancing on the streets for coins."

"But you're a wonderful dancer," Kairi said, Ed nodding in agreement.

"Well, it keeps bread on the table, anyway," she said and looked at two figures hiding under a cloth. "What's this?" she asked, lifting the cloth off of them.

"Oh, no, please oh, I'm not finished-I still have to paint them..." Quasimodo exclaimed, trying to get her not to touch his carvings.

Sora examined the table as well, "A blacksmith and a baker. You're a surprising person, Quasimodo!"

Donald nodded, "Not to mention lucky. All this room to yourself." He remembered how crowded a Gummi ship can get; even with only three people... well, now there were seven...

"Well, it's not just me-there's the gargoyles, and of course the bells. Would you like to see them?"

"Yes, of course! Wouldn't we, Djali?" Esmarelda asked, turning to her goat.

Djali paused and looked to her, half of a model of a shepard sticking out of his mouth before he sucked it in and ate the rest of the wooden model.

"I wouldn't mind seeing them too," Kairi said and smiled.

The others nodded and followed Quasimodo higher up to where the bells were kept, "I'll introduce you. That's Little Sophia, and... Jean Marie, Ann Marie, and Louise Marie. Triplets, you know."

"Heh, how funny!" Sora giggled to himself.

"And who's this?" Alphonse asked, touching a particularly large bell.

"Big Marie."

Esmarelda suddenly ran under the bell and yelled "HELLO!"

There was a loud echo and Riku peeked underneath it at her. "I think she likes you."

Ed and Kairi ran underneath the bells as well and had fun making their own echoes. "YODEL LE-HE-HOO!" Ed yelled and Kairi giggled, which echoed as well.

"Would you guys like to see more?" Quasimodo asked.

Donald turned to Sora, "How 'bout it?"

Sora, now too under Big Marie, belched loudly, which in turn echoes and resonated richly much to everyone's pleasure.

"I'll take that as a yes," Alphonse said between giggles.

"Good," Quasimodo said excitedly, "I've saved the best for last!" He led them outside onto the balcony to a beautiful view of Paris and the Seine. Everyone was breathless.

"I bet the king of Paris doesn't have a view like this. I could stay up here forever," Esmarelda said, leaning on the wall and sighing.

"So could I... This is beautiful!" Kairi said in awe. "This is a much better view than the one we have back home. All there is is a wide open sea."

"That still sounds beautiful," Ed said, letting the wind blow through his hair.

"We've never seen the ocean," Alphonse added.

Sora looked at him with a smile, "You should! It's really nice, maybe we can take you to our world sometime."

"Going to your world sounds nice. Our country is just surrounded by other countries and a desert... The only large body of water we've seen is a lake surrounding Yock Island," Ed said, staring down at the Seine River.

"I wonder how many worlds we'll visit before we can even go back to Destiny Islands," Goofy asked in wonder. "Maybe we'll stop at Atlantica on the way. Though that's under the sea..."

"Oh! I can't go in water!" Alphonse exclaimed, "My blood seal will wash off!"

"Blood... seal?" Sora asked, clearly not understanding how Al was bound to the armor.

Ed looked up at the group. "That's right, you guys don't know much about alchemy..." he said and walked over to Al, pulling off his helmet. "See that seal in there? That's what keeps Al's soul bonded to the armor. If it washes away...well..." he then bowed his head, not wanting to think about it.

"I saw that seal when Kairi and I first found him at Radiant Garden. It looks like it was drawn in blood..." Riku said, looking inside the armor again at the blood seal.

Ed nodded. "It was drawn in blood. My blood... After I lost my leg, Al was already taken, so I drew the seal on the armor and sacrificed my right arm to summon his soul back from the other side..."

"The other...side?" Kairi asked and tilted her head.

"The other side of the Gate of Truth..."

"It's a bit complex," Alphonse laughed as he took his head back.

Sora scratched his head and laughed sheepishly, "My head hurts already trying to figure it out..."

"But I'm sure if we go to Atlantica at all," Donald said with a smile, "I could use magic to protect your seal."

"Could you? That would be great!" Alphonse said excitedly.

"Well, maybe we won't have to go to that world at all. Or if we do, hopefully Al will have his body back before then..." Ed said and shrugged, pulling that book he received from the king out of Al's little pouch and reviewed it again. He then sighed as he flipped through the pages. "Wish I knew what the King was trying to tell me..."

"Maybe with the keyblade, human transmutation is possible?" Sora suggested.

Alphonse shook his head, "That's crazy. Alchemy and magic can't suddenly mix together for those kind of results!"

"I doubt even with magic it's possible to bring back the dead..." Ed said and sighed, snapping the book shut. "The sooner we find the king, the better."

"It may take us awhile to find him... He's always on the move," Riku mumbled, sticking his hands in his pockets.

Sora tilited his head to the side, "Whoever said Alphonse was dead?"

"He didn't mean me... I just don't have a-... never mind..." Alphonse figured it was useless to explain something to someone who wasn't even paying that close attention. He laughed to himself at Sora's air-headedness though.

Ed sighed again. "Never mind... It's not your problem anyway," Ed muttered and went back to look at the view.

"That's not true..." Kairi said and frowned. "You're our friends now. We care what happens to you guys and we want to help."

"So did the Colonel, and because of us, he's losing his heart to the darkness..." Alphonse mumbled.

Sora laughed, "And who says the same thing will happen to us? It's already happened to this idiot over here," At 'this idiot' he jabbed a thumb at Riku.

"Hey! WHO'S an idiot?" Riku asked, glaring at Sora.

Ed shrugged and frowned, remembering the Colonel. "That bastard better not lose his heart... He's not that weak!"

"He does have that lady friend to take care of him, so he should be fine," Goofy said, smiling.

Alphonse nodded, "Yeah Ed, there's always the Lieutenant. She'll whip him back into shape like she always does!"

"Just 'cause I'm naive, doesn't always make me stupid," Sora argued with his friendly rival, "Besides, I only turned into a Heartless once, you did it..." He then began to count on his fingers on how many Ansem battles he had to go through.

Donald face-palmed. _You're further proving his point by doing that, Sora..._

Riku sighed. "Yes, but sometimes you need to rely on the darkness at times too... You can't have light without darkness."

Kairi shrugged. "Man...here we go," she said, placing her hands on her hips.

"So what you're saying is," Sora smirked, "That your powers don't exist without me? Aww, how sweet, Riku! You're welcome!"

Alphonse giggled, "See Ed? Sora's pretty smart when it comes to cracking jokes!"

Both Riku and Ed face palmed. "Never mind..." Riku said and rolled his eyes.

"Uh huh...Sure he is," Ed said sarcastically then smirked.

"I just hope all the worlds will be at peace again," Kairi said and leaned against the wall to look out at the scenery again.

Quasimodo looked over at Esmerelda. They had separated themselves a bit farther from the others. "You could, you know... stay here."

"No, I couldn't..." Esmarelda said and spun around, leaning against the wall this time, her back against the view.

"Oh, yes you could," Quasimodo said to her excitedly, "You have sanctuary here! You'll be safe!"

"But not freedom. Gypsies don't do well inside stone walls," Esmarelda said, crossing her arms.

Quasimodo looked down shyly, not wanting to look Esmerelda in the eyes, "But you're not like other gypsies. They're...evil."

"Who told you that?" Esmarelda asked, surprised, looking to Quasimodo.

Quasimodo lowered his head even more in shame, "My master, Frollo. He raised me that way..."

"How could such a cruel man raise someone like you?" Esmarelda asked him sadly.

Quasimodo was shocked at Esmerelda's statement. "Cruel? Oh, no. He saved my life. He took me in when no one else would." He looked back down at his hands. "I am a monster, you know."

"He told you that?" Esmarelda asked, tilting her head. "Give me your hand," she said, holding her hand out to his.

Quasimodo began to protest Esmerelda, but she was too overpowering, "Huh? Why?"

"Just let me see," Esmarelda said and examined his hand. "Hmm, a long life line...oh, and this one means you're shy... Hmm. Hmm, hmm. hmm...well, that's funny... I don't see any."

"What? See any what?" Quasimodo asked, confused.

"Monster lines. Not a single one. Now you look at me. Do you think I'm evil?" Esmarelda asked, holding out her hand.

"No, no, no! You are kind, and good, and-" Quasimodo said, grabbing her hand. He paused a bit to think of another adjective to describe Esmeralda, but was too flustered to say one.

"-and a gypsy. And maybe Frollo's wrong about the both of us," Esmarelda said, continuing his thought.

Quasimodo thought about that for a moment and then suddenly made up his mind. He looked over at the others and waved them over, "Hey, come here a minute!"

"What is it, Quasi?" Sora asked.

"You helped me. Now I will help you get out of here."

Alphonse whimpered, "But there's no way out. There's soldiers at every door."

"We won't use a door."

"You mean...climb down?" Ed asked and gluped, looking over the ledge.

"No thanks!" Kairi said a little too quickly.

"And just how will we do that?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well," Quasimodo started, picking up Djali and handing him to Esmeralda, "You carry him, and I carry you."

"I can take Brother on my shoulders and someone in my armor," Alphonse suggested.

Sora laughed, "I'm going down solo! I've never been church surfing before!"

Donald sighed, "I don't think that's the idea..."

Ed shrugged. "Nah, I'll be fine on my own..." he said and hopped over the side before Sora could.

"Okay..." Esmarelda said and let Quasi carry her.

"C-Can I ride inside your armor?" Kairi asked, shaking a bit. "I-I've never been up this high before..." she said and poked her fingers together sheepishly.

"I'm going down solo as well..." Riku suggested.

"Er...Donald can ride on my back if I can ride on yours," Goofy said to Alphonse.

Alphonse nodded to both Goofy and Kairi and opened up his chest for her to climb inside, "Don't worry, you'll be safe in here."

"Alright then, Quasi! Lead the way!" Sora said, cracking his joints.

"Ready?" He asked Esmerelda, "Don't be afraid."

Donald quacked as Goofy picked him up and then climbed onto Alphonse.

"I'm not afraid..." Esmarelda said but as soon as Quasi jumped over, she looked down. "Now I'm afraid!"

Ed was slowly inching his way on the edges then dropped down, hanging from one of the stone gargoyles by the neck. He then swung his legs until he had enough momentum to swing over to the next gargoyle. He sighed, thankful he had enough muscle to do this. Riku was close behind him.

Kairi climbed inside Al and huddled in a ball inside him, wishing there was something she could grab onto to keep herself steady.

Alphonse laughed at his brother for almost losing his grip, "Brother! Just think of this as training on Yock Island! Remember all that climbing we did?" He was second after Ed, but Riku, Sora, and Quasi were way ahead of him. It was probably because he was so heavy.

"I would climb trees all the time back on the island at home!" Sora said. His acrobatic skills he actually learned from his adventures, but no one really needed to know that... but it was apparent when he slipped on one of the roof shingles. Luckily, Quasimodo was there to help him back up.

"You okay, Sora?"

"N-Never better! Heh heh..."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, Al..." he said and swung again before flipping onto a nearby roof with ease.

"Careful Sora! I don't think there's a cure spell for being splat on the ground," Riku called to his friend, half teasing, half serious.

Goofy was clung tightly to Al, gulping as they swung and climbed.

"This would be so much easier if I could transmute a ladder..." Ed grumbled, continuing to maneuver his way down the side of the church.

"Why didn't you suggest it then!" Sora whimpered, finally landing next to Ed.

Quasimodo shook his head once he landed too. "That would be a bad idea. What if the guards saw it?"

"Oh yeah..." Alphonse said with a sigh, "'Witchcraft'... How can we tell them it's a science and not magic?"

Ed rolled his eyes. "Cause they're stupid!" Ed muttered and began to climb down the next few stories when the roof tile underneath his feet slipped loose and made him fall, riding the thing like a snow sled. "WAAAAAH!"

"ED!" Riku yelled, seeing the boy fly off the roof and catching himself on the side of the building as the tile flew off into a dark alley.

"Check the alley!" one guard yelled.

"This way!" another yelled, making them all run off into the alley.

Ed sighed and quietly jumped down when the guards disappeared, looking up at the others and grinned sheepishly, shaking a little in his boots.

"Ed how could you!" Alphonse hissed angrily as the rest of them made it to the ground.

Sora groaned, "Maybe we should get going then,"

Quasimodo nodded and smiled, "I'll never forget you guys. Especially you, Esmeralda."

"I-It was an accident!" Ed muttered, still shaking as the others joined him.

Kairi climbed out of Al's armor, falling to her knees, glad they were now on solid ground.

"Come with me," Esmarelda said, clasping Quasi's hands in hers. "All of you!"

"What!" Quasimodo asked in shock.

Sora tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms, "Huh? Where to?"

"To the Court of Miracles!" Esmarelda said excited. "Leave this place."

Ed shrugged. "The court of miracles? Is that where all gypsies gather?"

"Sounds fun!" Sora exclaimed excitedly.

"Oh, no." Quasimodo said sadly, "I'm never going back out there again. You saw what happened to me today. No. This is where I belong."

Alphonse appeared to frown, "Oh dear... that was awful what happened earlier..."

"All right, then I'll come see you," she said and smiled. She then turned to look at the others. "What about all of you?"

"I guess we have no choice. We don't really have anywhere else to go..." Riku said and shrugged.

"Yeah, maybe we'll see Clopin again," Kairi said and smiled.

"To the Court of Miracles!" Donald chimed in.

Quasimodo panicked a bit at Esemeralda's suggestion however, "What? Visit here? But, the soldiers, and Frollo, and... it's too dangerous!"

"She can come at sunset!" Sora suggested, shrugging, "No harm there, right?"

"But at sunset, I ring the evening mass, and after that, I clean the kooisters, and then I ring the vespers, and-"

Esmarelda then leaned over and kissed him on the cheek, making Ed twitch slightly.

"Whatever's good for you..." Quasi said, sinking into happiness from the kiss.

Esmarelda then pulls a talisman off her neck and hands it to Quasimodo. "If you ever need sanctuary, this will show you the way."

Kairi blinked and leaned over, looking at the talisman.

"But how?" Quasimodo asked.

Alphonse looked over his shoulder and awed at it, "It's so pretty..."

"I bet she made it," Sora said with excitement, "I want to learn how!"

Riku just smacked Sora across the back of the head. "This isn't the time, Sora!"

"Just remember: When you wear this woven band, you hold the city in your hand," Esmarelda said, just as the guards started to return.

"Crap, we have to get out of here..." Ed whispered.

"R-Right!" Sora stammered before waving to his new friend, "Bye Quasi! We'll come back for you!"

"That wasn't creepy at all..." Alphonse groaned as they all took off.

Donald looked up at Esmeralda, "So how do we get to this Court of Miracles?"

As the rest of them said good-bye, they ducked into dark alleys to keep themselves hidden.

"It's hidden beneath a graveyard," Esmarelda said as they ran through the shadows. They needed to move quickly before someone heard Al's clanking.

"Gee, that makes me feel safe..." Ed said and shivered.

**End chapter 14**


	15. Chapter 15: Notre Dame part 5

**Hey guys! Chapter 15 is now up **** That didn't take me very long, did it? XD**

**Chapter 15: Notre Dame part 5**

After running for awhile, they managed to duck all of Frollo's guards and no heartless appeared. They came to the graveyard and approached a central grave with the same symbol that was on the talisman.

"Ed... I don't like graveyards..." Alphonse whimpered, wringing his gloves.

Sora laughed sheepishly, "I don't mind them, but that was in Halloween Town... this is... different..."

"Less festive," Donald agreed, "Filled with more... death?"

"Please don't say 'death'..."

Ed groaned, not fazed by it like the others were. "So how do we get into this court of miracles?" he asked shrugged.

Esmarelda pushed the lid off the grave, with a little bit of difficulty, revealing a set of stairs. "Down here. Hurry," Esmarelda said and descended down the stairs.

"Let's hurry before we lose her!" Riku said, seeing the light from the torch she was holding began to fade.

The rest nodded and ran down the stairs... but they did lose her. Alphonse took the liberty to create another torch to guide them. "I think I'd feel more comfortable without the light, actually..." And there was good reason. They were underground in an overly flooded chamber, lined with skeletons.

"Is this the Court of Miracles?" Sora asked, rubbing his arms as if he were cold.

"Offhand, I'd say it's the court of ankle deep sewage..." Ed said, raising one of his legs to see the sludge on his boots. "Must be the old catacombs."

"Well, this place is creepy as hell..." Riku said and shrugged, not noticing three skeletons move behind them as they continued down the tunnel.

"Cheerful place," Sora chuckled, still a bit scared, "Kinda makes you want to see more places, huh guys?"

"I prefer Amestris; we have our own problems and spooks there... And we used to get into trouble a lot back home anyway, especially with the Colonel. But I only got into trouble 'cause of Ed's antics." Alphonse whimpered.

Ed had a vein popping out of his forehead. "So you're saying all the trouble we got in is MY FAULT!" he yelled.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Riku said and smirked.

"Speaking of trouble, we should have run into some by now..." Goofy said nervously.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, like a guard or a booby trap..." he said and suddenly their only light source went out. "Or an ambush."

Suddenly, the chamber became fully lit, and they were surrounded by skeletons, the ones that were supposedly part of the decor. They forced them to their knees, in front of a now unmasked Clopin, the apparent ringleader.

"Well, well, well. What have we here?"

"Tresspassers!"

"Spies!"

"We are not spies!" Alphonse protested.

Sora growled, "Can't you listen-?" But as soon as he started, they were all gagged... save Al who didn't have a mouth, but they took his helmet from him in compensation.

"Don't interrupt me!" Clopin exclaimed as he played with the helmet, "You're very clever to have found our hideaway. Unfortunately, you won't live to tell the tale!" He laughed and they were led to an underground town, teeming with gypsies.

_"MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF A TERRIBLE PLACE  
WHERE THE SCOUNDRELS OF PARIS COLLECT IN A LAIR  
MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF THAT MYTHICAL PLACE  
CALLED THE COURT OF MIRACLES._

HELLO, YOU'RE THERE!

WHERE THE LAME CAN WALK  
AND THE BLIND CAN SEE  
BUT THE DEAD DON'T TALK  
SO YOU WON'T BE AROUND TO REVEAL WHAT YOU'VE FOUND!

WE HAVE A METHOD FOR SPIES AND INTRUDERS  
RATHER LIKE HORNETS PROTECTING THEIR HIVE  
HERE IN THE COURT OF MIRACLES  
WHERE IT'S A MIRACLE IF YOU GET OUT ALIVE!"

Soon they were all but Al were led onto a platform and nooses placed around their necks. Al though, had someone by him threatening to remove his seal.

"Gather around, everybody! There's good "noose" tonight!" Clopin cracked as the other gypsies laughed, "It's a septeple header, a whole bunch of Frollo's spies!" The crowd then booed.

Clopin then turned to them and began to sing again,

_"JUSTICE IS SWIFT IN THE COURT OF MIRACLES  
I AM THE LAWYERS AND JUDGE ALL IN ONE  
WE LIKE TO GET THE TRIAL OVER WITH QUICKLY  
BECAUSE IT'S THE SENTENCE THAT'S REALLY THE FUN!_

Any last words?"

Muffles came from everyone, but Al cried, "Yes but-!" He then screamed as his seal was scratched a bit.

"That's what they all say!

_NOW THAT WE'VE SEEN ALL THE EVIDENCE-"_

He then pulled out a miniature puppet of his to add insult to injury:

_"WAIT! I OBJECT!_

OVERRULED!

I OBJECT!

QUIET!

DANG."

He then put the puppet away and began to be his semi-serious self:

_"WE FIND YOU TOTALLY INNOCENT...  
WHICH IS THE WORST CRIME OF ALL!  
SO YOU'RE GOING TO HANG!"_

"STOP!" Esmarelda cried, running out from the crowd.

"Esmarelda!" Everyone yelled in a muffle tone, save for Alphonse.

"These people aren't spies! They're my friends!" she said, removing the nooses and gags.

"DAMMIT CLOPIN! Did you forget who we were already!" Ed yelled, clearly pissed off more at the fact that they even thought of touching Al's blood seal than hanging the rest of them.

Clopin bit his lip, "Well you can't be too careful!"

"And you're right," Alphonse said sternly, putting his head back on, "But we're your friends and you know that!"

"We came here for refuge and to tell you that Frollo's amped up his army with Heartless! He could find you at anytime with those things!" Sora exclaimed.

"You took a terrible risk coming here, it may not exactly show, but we're grateful." Clopin apologized.

"Don't thank us," replied Donald, "Thank Esmeralda. Without her help, we would never have found our way here."

"Nor would I!" came the booming voice of Judge Claude Frollo. He appeared at the top of the entry way, surrounded by Heartless and guards. He smiled evilly, "After twenty years of searching, the Court of Miracles is mine at last."

The guards and heartless suddenly surrounded the group, aiming their spears at them to insure they don't move. Behind Frollo, Phoebus and Quasimodo were dragged in on chains.

"Quasi!" Kairi yelped surprised.

"And Phoebus too!" Goofy said, holding up his shield in defense.

Sora, Riku and Ed all had their keyblades summoned, but it was no use. "Dammit! How on earth did you find us!" Ed spat at Frollo.

Esmarelda gasped, surprised that Frollo found them so quickly as the other gypsies ran and screamed, but were halted by the guards and heartless.

"Surrender or die!" Frollo threatened them.

Sora rolled his eyes, "Oh great, how many times do we have to do this in the span of 5 minutes!" He lifted his Keyblade and pointed it at the judge.

Frollo sneered and turned to his guards. "Take the gypsies and these traitors away! I'll have the Heartless deal with these outsiders!"

Suddenly, the Heartless turned to each other and melted into the floor... only to shoot back up as a black, purple, and red striped snake-like creature with wings and front claws. It looked like one of the floats from the Festival of Fools, but much more threatening. Dubbed the Oroboros, it roared and then swiped at the Heroes of Heart.

"NOT THIS AGAIN! AND I THOUGHT THE HOMUNCULI WERE BAD!" Alphonse whined, drawing his sword.

Ed yelped as the snake charged straight for him and his brother, quickly dashing to the side and barely staying on his feet. "Dammit! That thing is fast!" he yelled just as it came in for another attack.

Riku ran at it head on and jumped on it's head before it could bite him. He then brought his keyblade "Way to the Dawn" down on it's head, stabbing it's skull. The thing roared angrily and shook Riku off, ready to strike at him, but Ed quickly ran at it and smacked it a couple of times before it smacked Ed away with its tail.

"BROTHER!" Alphonse exclaimed, stopping the monster's jaws with his sword before it could finish Ed. He shoved his sword through the roof of its mouth and twisted the blade to create an alchemical reaction, spikes shooting upwards in the same manner as he had hurt the creature before. It roared and grabbed the armor with its one claw and threw Alphonse against the wall. "Good thing I'm armor or that would have hurt!"

Sora smirked, "Thanks for the opening, guys!" He thrust his keyblade at the Oroboros's chest, knocking it back. He then aimed for its jaw, knocking its head back for a clear shot at its neck. "CUT IT'S HEAD OFF BEFORE- WAH!" The monster still had two arms and it swatted Sora away liked a bug.

"GRAVIRA!" Donald casted, bringing Sora safely back to the ground. He then cast Curaga on the others and as a final act of magic, he set the Oroboros's tail on fire.

Goofy charged with his shield, plowing into the Oroboros as it flew off the ground for a few seconds, before collapsing to the ground. Ed then ran forward and jumped up, bringing his keyblade down and chopping off its head.

The heartless screeched before fully losing its voice and began to disappear, a giant crystal heart emerging from its body and floated off toward the ceiling before disappearing. Along with the heart, a blue orb hit one of Edward's boots. Ed looked down and recognized it as a drive form. It looked exactly like his Valor Form, only it had blue flames.

Ed picked it up and pocketed it before looking up to see the last of the heartless' body disappearing and an enraged Frollo standing behind it. Ed gritted his teeth and took his keyblade, charging straight for Frollo. "RAAAAGH!"

"Ed, WAIT!" Quasimodo called from his spot on the side. The entire time, he had been watching the battle in fear. He knew his Master had received incredible powers, and now he was extremely dangerous. He had even set all of Paris on fire.

An unnatural force blocked Edward from attacking Frollo and knocked the boy to the ground, rendering him unconscious. Frollo grinned and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "And you will be burned at the stake along with the gypsy girl! Guards! Grab the others! Throw them in the dungeons." He then turned and left to take a defeated Quasimodo back to the bell tower, leaving Phoebus to rot in prison with the others. Alphonse tried to call out after his brother, but it was too late. He and Frollo were already gone...

-

"The prisoners Esmeralda and Edward Elric have been found guilty of the crime of witchcraft. The sentence: death!"

Roars echoed from the crowds as Edward and Esmeralda were tied at a stake, a bundle of wood at their feet. The other Heroes of Heart and the gypsies watched in horror from cages and Quasimodo watched in chains from the bell tower. Frollo approached the sentenced prisoners.

"The time has come, gypsy. You stand upon the brink of the abyss. Yet even now, it is not too late. I can save you from the flames of this world, and the next. Choose me, or the fire. You on the other hand boy, have no hopes of redemption and will die no matter what she chooses."

Esmarelda glared at Frollo with pure hate and spit at his face, landing it on his cheek.

Ed was next to Esmarelda and sneered at Frollo, spitting at him as well, but landing his spit right in Frollo's eye. "Strike!" he said and smirked triumphantly. The fact that death was facing him in the face didn't faze him at that moment as he wanted to burst out into laughter.

Riku smacked his face in disbelief. "Ed, you idiot!" he said, knowing that what he did just worsened his situation.

Phoebus shook the bars of the cage in anger. "We have to find a way out of these cages!"

"Yeah, but how? The guards have the keys!" Kairi said sadly.

Frollo growled and wiped the spit from his face. He then announced to the crowd: "The gypsy Esmeralda has refused to recant and so has Elric. These evil witches have put the soul of every citizen of Paris in mortal danger with their heresy! Henceforth, may they be burned alive!"

Alphonse looked at the lock and studied it. "Maybe... I could use alchemy to get us out."

"But be discrete!" Clopin warned, "Or we may be the next to burn!"

"That's a pleasant thought, no pressure, Al!" Sora grumbled.

Meanwhile, up in the bell tower, the gargoyles were trying to break the chains that were binding Quasi tightly. "C'mon, Quasi! Snap out of it!"

"Your friends are down there!" Victor urged.

Quasimodo lowered his head in shame, "It's all my fault..."

"You gotta break these chains!" Laverne exclaimed.

"I can't, I tried. What difference would it make?"

"But you can't let Frollo win!" Victor cried again.

"He already has."

"So, you're giving up? That's it?" Hugo asked in shock, bouncing over to Quasi.

"These chains aren't what's holding you back, Quasimodo," Laverne said, holding up one of the chains.

"Leave me alone," Quasi said and glared before sighing and bowing his head in shame.

The gargoyles back up in surprise then gave up. "Okay. Okay, Quasi, we'll leave you alone."

"After all, we're only made of stone," Victor said as he and Hugo turned back to stone.

"We just thought maybe you were made of something stronger..." Laverne said before she too turned back to stone.

"This is for justice, for Paris, and for their own salvation!" Frollo continued, "It is my shameful duty to send these poor children back where they belong!" He then dipped his torch at the base of the pyre.

"NOOOO!" echoed Quasimodo from the bell tower. He began to pull harder and harder on his chains. The bells suddenly began to quietly ring as he shook the very building, ripping out pillars of stone. Finally he was freed. He raced off and grabbed a rope. Leaping off the edge of the cathedral, he lassoed a gargoyle and rappelled down the side of the building. Finally, he jumps off, flied out over the crowd and landed on the platform. Quickly, he broke the ropes tying Ed and Esmeralda. At the same time, Alphonse broke the lock of the cage holding him, Sora, Kairi, Riku, Donald, and Goofy. A trio of guards came at him, but Quasimodo grabbed a torch and swung it at them, scaring them off. He then grabbed the rope and climbed back to the top of the building.

"Quasimodo!" Frollo roared as Quasi carried Esmeralda to the top of the cathedral shouting

"Sanctuary! Sanctuary! Sanctuary!"

Alphonse grabbed his brother from the pyre and hugged him tightly, "Brother, I'm sorry it took so long! Are you okay?"

"That's it, Frollo!" Sora threatened, summoning his keyblade and pointing it at him, "You're finished. Give it up!"

The judge was not pleased. He then turned to his new captain of the guard: Pete. "Captain! Seize the Cathedral!"

"Alone at last!" Phoebus said, knocking out the soldier guarding his cage and took the keys.

Ed coughed repeatedly, feeling the smoke that burned his lung and tears leaking from the corner of his eyes. "I-I'll be fine...Al..." he gasped, but clung to his brother for support.

Pete nodded and saluted. "Yes, sir!" he said and ordered his heartless to break down the cathedral door.

Riku summoned his keyblade and began swatting away the air soldier heartless that appeared. Kairi summoned her keyblade and joined in the battle too.

Phoebus then stood up on the platform that Esmarelda and Ed were being burned on and held a long staff above his head. "Citizens of Paris! Frollo has persecuted our people, ransacked our city! Now he has declared war on Notre Dame herself! Will we allow it?" he yelled as the crowd shouted "NO!"

As the crowd began to break loose the gypsies, the guards continued their assault. Soon, the crowd swarmed around the door.

Alphonse then peeled his brother off of him and appeared to smile. "You ready to deal a butt-kicking, Brother?"

"I'm going after Frollo!" Sora called to his friends as he took off.

"He's leaving us with the Heartless?"

"I'm open for assistance!"

Donald began to cast Blizzard back and forth to put out the fires burning the city down, "QUACK!"

Alphonse looked at Ed and nodded. "I'll stay and help Donald. You go with Sora. I know you're the kind not to turn down revenge."

Ed took one last deep breath before he looked up at his brother with a gaze that filled his eyes with anger. "You bet!" Ed said and fist pumped his brother. "That bastard is going down once and for all!" he said and summoned his keyblade, taking off after Sora.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Pete yelled as he saw Ed and Sora sneak past him. He then turned to look at the others and growled. "Heartless ATTACK!"

Riku and Kairi stood back to back as the heartless surrounded them. Donald and Goofy stood close to Al.

Ed ran inside the cathedral behind Sora in time to see the Archdeacon try and stop Frollo. "Frollo, have you gone mad! I will not tolerate this assault on the house of God!"

"Silence, you old fool!" Frollo growled, pushing the Archdeacon onto the floor, "The hunchback and I have unfinished business to attend to. And this time, you will not interfere!"

-

Quasimodo burst jubilantly into his bedroom where he had hidden Esmeralda. "We've done it, Esmeralda! We're beating them back! Come and see!" But she didn't move. He rushed over to her bedside. "Esmeralda? Wake up! You're safe now..." But still no response. "Esmeralda? Oh, no!" He rushed to get a spoonful of water, and tried to make her drink it, but the water just dripped over her mouth. "Oh no..." He then began to sob, holding her hand gently. From behind he heard the footsteps of his master and felt the claw-like hand on his hump. "You... You killed her..."

"It was my duty, horrible as it was. I hope you can forgive me. There, there, Quasimodo, I know it hurts. But now, the time has come to end your suffering." He lifts his other hand to reveal a dagger. As he raised it to stab the hunchback, Quasimodo spied the shadow and managed to wrestle the knife from his hand and back Frollo into a corner. "Now listen to me, Quasimodo-"

"No, you listen! All my life you have told me the world is a dark, cruel place. But now, I see that the only thing dark and cruel about it is people like you!"

"Quasimodo..." Esmarelda whispered, reaching a hand out to Quasi weakly.

-

Sora rushed over to the Archdeacon to make sure he was okay, but Ed rushed past him and up the stairs. "No time, Sora! Let's go!"

"But Edward-!" Sora called after him. He shook his head and helped the old man to his feet before casting a cure spell on him.

"God Bless you, child,"

"Yeah, it's the least I can do for your kindness old man. See ya!"

-

"Esmeralda!" Quasimodo exclaimed, rushing over to her and grabbing her hand tenderly again.

Frollo sat up in awe, "She lives!" He then turned and grabbed a sword beside him.

"No!" Quasimodo exclaimed, seeing the sword. He grabbed Esmeralda and ran outside towards the balcony with Frollo in chase.

The judge looked around and saw nothing but gargoyles. But he knows where Quasimodo is hiding and looked over the edge of the balcony to find him hanging there with the gypsy. "Leaving so soon?" He swung his sword, but Quasi dodged the blow by swinging to another spot.

When Frollo went to swing again, Quasimodo held onto Esmeralda tighter. "Hold on!" He swung off again, just narrowly missing Frollo's sword. But finally, he cornered the hunchback.

"I should have known you'd risk your life to save that gypsy witch. Just as your own mother died trying to save you!"

"What!"

"And now I'm going to do what I should have done twenty years ago!"

Ed quickly rushed into the room to see nobody there and looked to see a door leading out to a balcony. "Hurry up, Sora!" Ed yelled and ran outside to see Frollo whip his cape over Quasi's head, trying to make him fall off the edge.

"FROLLO!" Ed yelled with rage, charging with his keyblade.

Frollo pulled on Quasimodo, causing him to lose his balance and fall onto the ledge. With the bell ringer indisposed for the time being, he turned his attention to Edward and blocked his keyblade with his sword. "You're still alive as well? Then I'll have to kill you first before I kill the hunchback!"

"Hey, no one's killing anyone as long as I'm around!" Sora announced, pointing his weapon at the judge as well, "C'mon Ed, let's take this joker out together!"

Ed nodded as he pushed back against Frollo's blade with his own strength, gritting his teeth. "You're going to pay for what you've done! Your heart is shrouded in nothing but darkness!" he said, kicking the judge in the gut before whacking him with his keyblade.

Frollo stumbled back, which gave Sora the opportunity to follow up after Edward... or so he thought. He managed to block the attack and swing at Sora on his own, nicking the boy in the side. He stumbled back and held his wound in pain. "Okay then... Ed, you and I are going to have to do a Limit Attack, do you know what that is?"

Ed quickly dodged a swing from Frollo before landing next to Sora. "Limit attack? I have no clue!" he said, quickly pushing Sora out of the way as Frollo came for them, jumping to the opposite side.

While Frollo was distracted, Esmarelda ran to the edge, trying to help Quasimodo back up, but he was too heavy for her. "Quasiiii...Quasimodo!"

Quasimodo tried to grab onto the ledge to help himself up and to prevent Esmeralda from falling as well. "Hold on! Please, don't let go!"

"Here, just follow my lead!" Sora called to him, stepping back from the fray. He raised his Keyblade upwards and closed his eyes. When Edward got near, he placed his key on his. Like puppets on strings they began to attack Frollo in perfect sync, not missing a blow. "Haha! It worked!" 

"Let's go!" Ed said as he and Sora glided past each other, starting the next set of frenzy attacks. This time, their keyblades danced out of their hands, both aiming at Frollo with precise hits. They then finished off the combo when their keyblades circled around Frollo and crated a ring of fire before it exploded.

Frollo fell to his knees from the attack. He clutched his heart and began to breathe heavily. "'And He shall smite the wicked and plunge them into the fiery pit'..." He stumbled to his feet, and attempted one last attack at the boys. But he missed and toppled over the side of the cathedral, gripping onto one of the gargoyles for dear life. Suddenly, the gargoyle came to life and roared at the evil man. He screamed, the stone gargoyle breaking off, and sending Frollo falling to his death.

Esmarelda bit her lip, feeling her palms get sweaty and Quasi slowly slip from her grip. "I'm trying!" she said, trying to pull him up. The force from the key bearers' attacks weren't helping the situation either.

At the same time, Quasimodo lost his grip with Esmeralda, falling several stories... to be caught by Phoebus.

"Give us a heart attack why don't 'cha?" Sora called from the balcony of Notre Dame.

Ed sighed and almost fell to his knees as well. "Glad that's over..." he muttered and went to go see if Esmarelda was okay.

She nodded and thanked them both before running down to meet with Quasimodo and Phoebus.

"Let's go check on Al and the others!" Ed said to Sora and raced outside. "AL!" he called, just as the sun came out and lit the whole city.

"Ed! You did it! You all did it!" Alphonse cheered happily, embracing his brother. Sora was second to come out, healed from a potion, but his shirt was still ripped from where Frollo had cut him.

"So what am I? Chopped liver?"

Donald laughed and he ran to give Sora a big hug, followed by Goofy, Riku, and Kairi.

Ed laughed and grinned, pulling Sora in for a hug around the neck with one arm and ruffled his hair with the other.

The whole city cheered in celebration and Esmarelda and Phoebus walked out hand in hand. Esmarelda then turned back toward the cathedral door and held out her hand to the darkness within, smiling.

Sora turned to the doorway as well, seeing a shy Quasimodo just standing there, watching. He shook his head, refusing to come out. This made Sora pout and he trotted inside, grabbed him by the hand, and led him slowly out into the city. The crowd gasped in awe, wondering what the bell ringer would do. But from the crowd, a little girl stepped forward, approaching Quasi. She looked at him, studying his face and then, out of kindness, touches it gently. The two hugged, and Qusaimodo happily picked her up and put her on his shoulder. The crowd began to cheer loudly and as he moved into the crowd, they didn't move away as before, but instead embraced their new hero.

"Three cheers for Quasimodo and his friends!" Clopin shouted from the platform. The crowd roared in agreement and picked them all up in celebration. Coplin then concluded his story:

_"HERE IS A RIDDLE YOU NEVER CAN GUESS  
SING THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME!  
WHAT MAKES A MONSTER, AND WHAT MAKES A MAN?  
SING THE BELLS, BELLS, BELLS, BELLS..._

WHATEVER THEIR PITCH, YOU CAN HEAR THEM BEWITCH YOU,  
THE RICH AND THE RITUAL KNELLS,  
OF THE BELLS OF NOTRE DAME!"

-

"Well it was nice to meet you all!" Alphonse said with a bow.

Sora nodded and shook hands with Phoebus, "Sorry we thought you were a bad guy."

Phoebus shook Sora's hand back and smiled. "It's alright. I don't blame you for believing so."

"You'll come back to visit us, right?" Esmarelda asked, snuggling against Phoebus, with on hand on Quasi's back.

Ed shrugged and frowned. _'Will we be able to visit once all the worlds are saved? How many worlds must we travel before Al and I can finally go home?"_ he asked himself. Ed then looked up at them, seeing them wait for an answer and smiled. "Yeah..."

"We always come back and visit when we have the time," Sora said with a nod and big grin.

Alphonse appeared to smile at Quasi, "So are you going to get out and see the city more?"

"With Heartless still around, Phoebus and I will be taking care of it as much as we can," He replied, "But there's always sanctuary in Notre Dame."

"THAT'S RIGHT!" Donald exclaimed, "WE NEED TO SEAL THE KEYHOLE!"

"Ah! I think I know where it is too! Quasi, can you take us back to the bell tower?" Sora asked.

"Y-Yeah, sure!"

Sora looked at Edward with a smile, "Wanna seal your first world?"

"Keyhole?" Phoebus asked and blinked.

Riku smacked his head. "That's right! We almost left here without doing what we came here to do in the first place!"

Ed's eyes widened, realizing he forgot as well and nodded. "S-Sure..."

Quasimodo led them back to where the bells were kept and Sora summoned his keyblade. "Okay, I know it's here somewhere... Ed, help me find it, okay?"

"Are you sure it's one of the bells?" Quasi asked.

"Uh-huh. I felt it last time we were up here. You get a knack for these things when you do it long enough."

Ed summoned his keyblade and shrugged. "I'm going to have to agree with Sora. I felt something last time as well, but I thought it was from Quasimodo," he said walked over to where the bells were. His keyblade then shook as if it was trying to tell him something and moved his hand toward one of the larger bells. "Hey! I think its Big Marie," he said grinning.

"You sure?" Riku asked, just as a large keyhole formed on the bell. "Guess you're right."

"Go ahead and seal it, Ed!" Kairi said, giggling.

"Erm..." Ed said and shrugged, not really knowing what to do. Instead his keyblade acted for him and pulled his hand up so it was facing straight for the keyhole. It then began to glow and a white beam of light shot out of it and into the keyhole, making a loud 'click.'

The keyhole then disappeared and Ed made his keyblade disappear, sighing.

"That's it?" Alphonse asked, tilting his head to the side.

"That's it," Sora replied.

Quasimodo laughed, "So the Heartless are gone?"

"Not really. They'll still come, but in fewer numbers. They also can't reach the heart of this world now, so it's safe from being destroyed by the darkness."

"I don't fully understand, but I thank you for your help."

"So I guess we should be going now," Donald said.

"Wait! I want to give you guys something!" Quasimodo then headed for his work table and picked up a couple chains. "I made these for you guys... you know, for helping me see the Festival." He handed them to Edward, Sora, Kairi, and Riku. He also gave Alphonse the Blizzard spell and a wooden figurine of the armor.

"Oh wow!" cried the boy, "Thanks! It looks just like me!"

"Thanks a lot," Ed said and smiled, putting the keychain in his pocket.

"I love it, Quasi," Kairi said and went over to him, pecking him on the cheek and making the boy blush.

"We'll be back again," Goofy said and waved as everyone else said their good byes.

**End of chapter 15. By the way, if you guys really want to make the battle between Sora, Ed and Frollo epic, go on Youtube and pull up the song "The Encounter" from the Kingdom Hearts 2 soundtrack and reread that boss battle again XD Anyway…Next world is Pride Lands! 8D**


	16. Chapter 16: Pride Lands part 1

**Hey guys! Sorry this took so long. Here's chapter 16 =D Enjoy!**

**Chapter 16: Pride Lands part 1**

In the gummi ship, Ed rubbed his face a sighed, slumping in his chair. "Man, I need a nap. This key bearer business if much harder than I thought..."

"No one said it was going to be easy," Riku said from the seat in front of Ed.

"Where do you think we're heading next?" Kairi asked.

"Pride Lands. Hey, Sora, Donald and I have been there before. I wonder how Simba's doing," Goofy said.

"Yeah, last time we were there he was about to start a family, right?" Donald asked.

Sora nodded excitedly, "Yeah! Nala was expecting a cub!"

"A-A cub?" Alphonse asked nervously, "What kind of world is this!"

"Lions! Rawr! It's fun, trust me!"

"We're going to a world of lions?" Ed asked confused and blinked.

"Well, they're not all lions... There's Timon and Pumba. And then there's Zazu who's a bird," Goofy explained.

"I haven't been to the Pride Lands yet! I would love to meet Simba's family!" Kairi said excitedly. She had only met Simba once when he was a summon charm for Sora during the time his world was destroyed.

"All right then, it's settled! Pride Lands it is!" Donald said, setting up the coordinates.

Alphonse looked at his brother in worry. "Lions, huh? Sounds a bit dangerous."

"Dangerous?" Sora asked, "What are you talking about? Oh wait, you don't think...?" He then began to laugh, "Oh! You guys are in for a BIG surprise!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Maleficent had just reviewed the events in Notre Dame from a seeing cauldron. She was furious. "UGH! That stupid Pete! Incompetent as always!"

"That's what I said, but _no_, no one ever listens to Roy," The Colonel grumbled. He was sitting in an easy chair with his arms crossed.

The witch splashed the spell in anger and turned to Mustang, "If you believe you can do a better job, then I am sending you next! Do NOT disappoint me!"

"Aye aye, your wickedness," Roy replied with a snicker and fake salute.

Again this angered Maleficent and she retreated to her chambers. When she was gone, Roy lowered his guard and looked over sadly at Riza.

"So we're next huh? Maybe we can finally make a break for it this time."

Riza sighed and shrugged. "I doubt it will be that easy..." Riza said and grabbed Roy's arm, hugging it for comfort.

* * *

When the gummi ship landed, Ed immediately ran out and blew chunks. "BLAAAAAAAAAAAGH! Dammit! I thought I was over this!" he yelled in frustration, not noticing he was no longer a human, but a lion.

"Brother!" Alphonse exclaimed from the doorway of the ship, "YOU'RE FURRY!" He ran out to hug the new kitty Edward, but tripped and tumbled out, turning into a suit of armor fit for a lion. The brothers then crashed against the wall of a canyon.

Sora laughed as he pranced over to them, tail held high. "See? I told you you'd be in for a big surprise!"

"QUACK!" Donald laughed as well, flapping over and landing on Sora's head. "You two need to be more careful!"

Ed realized what happened and began to panic. "WHAT THE HELL!" he yelled, lying on top of Al. "Al, you're a...a...AN ARMORED LION! AND ME! I'm a cat!" he yelled, not sure what to think about all of this.

Kairi trotted out next to Sora. She was the same size as he was but was all red like her hair. Riku was next. He was a bit bigger than Sora, Ed, and Kairi, but he was all white, a small mane beginning to grow on his chin. "Well, this is certainly new. Gotta get use to fighting with my keyblade in my mouth," Riku said, licking his one paw.

Goofy slowly came out of the gummi ship last in his turtle form. "Gwarsh! Where did we end up?"

* * *

Up in his tree, Rafiki was dancing and singing as he painted a picture of the new cub. "Ahh, Kiara..." he said and laughed. The wind blew wildly, showing Mufasa's presence. "Ooh, Mufasa! Such a day this has been! Princess Kiara's birth... another Circle of Life is complete, and the Pride's future is once again secure."

The wind then blew again at the painting, scattering some of the markings. "Aaah! Stop it, stop it, stop it! Mufasa- look what you are doing! The Circle is broken now. Why do you-" he then pauses, understanding. "Ooh... there is trouble in the Pride Lands," he said, looking to another painting of a black lion cub. "There is another cub? Hmm... where could this be?" he said and then looked out over the land. "In the Outlands..."

* * *

"Nu-uh!" Alphonse exclaimed, shooting up onto his feet, Ed still on his back, "How did my armor change!" He then began to chase his tail in panic.

"Maaagic~" Sora teased. He looked around and noticed everything was dark and dry. "Huh? I thought Simba cleaned this place up!"

"We must not be in the Pride Lands then... we must be on the outskirts..." Donald hypothesized. Then there was a loud howl in the distance and everyone froze.

Alphonse's armor began to rattle, "Wh-What was that?"

"OOOOooo~! I'M LOOOOSSSTTTT!"

Kairi's hair stood on end. "M-Maybe it's another lion that will eat us!"

"Wait a minute, wait a minute... I know that voice," Ed said and ran in the direction of the voice to see a black lion cub. "LING!"

_"HAhahahahahahahaha! Well, what do you know! It's the Fullmetal pipsqueak. See, brat? I told you everything will be fine. Plus this new world gives us a chance to take it for our own," Greed said from within Ling._

_Shut up! Can't you see I'm going through an emotional time right now!_ Ling wiped his eyes and cuddled his tail, "Edward! That's you! You're furry too! Oh, oh, where am I! The last thing I remember, I was eating in a restaurant with your money, and the next, I'm furry and in a strange place!"

"LING!" Alphonse exclaimed, galloping over, "You're so cute!"

Sora tilted his head to the side, "Who's this?"

Greed suddenly took over Ling's body and grinned. "Yo! How are you doing chibi-san?" he greeted, cracking his neck after Ling had been huddled in fear for the past hour.

"I'M NOT A CHIBI!" Ed yelled in rage.

Kairi blinked. "That guy's voice just changed. He seems like a completely different person now."

"Different personality?" Riku guessed.

Greed laughed and trotted over to Kairi. "Well hello there young lady. Aren't you beautiful."

Ed came between Greed and Kairi and shrugged in disgust. "Lemme guess, you're Greed now!"

"You got it, short cake."

_"Greed, stop abusing my body!" Ling whined from inside his own head. "Wait... is it really my body? I'm a cat! Still, I don't like what you're saying! Let me back!"_

"Hey! Don't talk that way to Kairi!" Sora growled in her defense.

Alphonse shook his head, "Oh, and I was hoping we wouldn't run into any homunculi..."

"Homunculi? Is that who this guy is?" Donald asked.

"Yeah, sort of..." Ed muttered as Greed then started yelling at himself (or at least that's what it looked like to Sora and the others.)

"No way! We made a deal!" Greed said to himself. "You accepted me so you can become Emperor of Xing."

"ANYWAY," Ed continued over the single arguing voice. "This is Ling. Well, the guy before was Ling. He accepted the homunculus Greed into his body so he can achieve a Philosopher's Stone and immortality..." Ed said, rolling his eyes as he said all of this. "Pretty much it's like two people living in one body. Trust me, you'll be able to tell who's who just by how they act. The perv is Greed."

As soon as Ed said that, Ling managed to win the fight and took over again.

_"DAMMIT LING! You can't keep me in here forever!" Greed yelled._

"YES I CAN!" Ling yelled at his other half. He then blinked and bowed his head, "My apologies, he's more unruly than normal as you can see. I think it has to do with the stress of what has been happening." He pawed at the ground. "Anyway, my question wasn't answered! Where am I and why are we cats!"

"Lions," Sora corrected, "And it's because of this world."

"World? I liked my old world better!"

Alphonse nodded, "So do Brother and I. Look, can we talk about this later? This place gives me the creeps!"

"Yeah, let's go find Simba!" Donald agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, nearby, a young lion cub pounced as an insect lands on the ground. "Rrrah!" he said and opened his paws to peek and see the bug was buzzing. He smiled and opened his paws further, letting it free.

"Kovu!" his mother, Zira yelled, snatching the bug from the air and smashing it to the ground. "Don't let it go. What's the matter with you?"

Kovu's ears flattened. "But Mother! He wasn't hurting anyone-"

"There is no room for weakness here, my son. Remember... Scar took you in and accepted you as his own son," she said, moving closer and pulling him against her.

Kovu shrugged doubtful. "But he wasn't my father."

"No... but he chose you to become the next King. When you rule, we shall no longer be forced to live in these dry, barren, disgusting, pathetic, termite-infested Outlands!" she yelled as she began swatting away everything with her paw.

Suddenly, Nuka and Vitani, Zira's eldest cubs, came bounding into the den, fighting to be the first back with the news.

"Mother! Mother! Mother!"

They began to speak over one another, trying to get the first word in.

"We were there- in the Pride Lands. We saw the whole thing!" Said Nuka.

"At Pride Rock. We saw everything!" Exclaimed Vitani.

"We saw Simba's cub!"

"What? Vitani- what did you see?" Zira asked, looking over at her only daughter.

"Simba's new cub is a girl!" Vitani exclaimed happily.

"A girl!" Zira laughed. "Scar, my beloved... did you hear that? This couldn't be more perfect."

"Who's she talking to?" Nuka whispered to his sister.

"Ssshhh! Scar!"

Nuka gasped, "Where? Where!"

"Scar's _dead_... genius."

"Yes! Because of Simba... if not for him, Scar would still be King. And I, Zira- his loving, devoted Queen!" Zira said, puffing out her chest in triumph.

Nuka thought for a moment and chuckled, "You know, speaking of kings... I was thinking, since I am the oldest... maybe I should be King! Huh?" He partially hoped his mother would take him seriously.

"Uh?" Zira asked, looking to her oldest son. "Don't be a fool, Nuka."

"Heh heh... just a thought." Nuka laughed, rolling over subserviently on his back.

"Kovu is the chosen one. We must fulfill Scar's dying wish, and train Kovu to become King," Zira said, roughly petting Kovu's back, much to Kovu's discomfort.

"Oh... yeah... oh, yeah. I can do that!" Nuka said excitedly. But his mother ignored him and he began to pout.

Zira climbs up a rock and points out to gaze over the land as the others follow. "Look... at the Pride Lands, my pets. So green... so inviting. That is our home... that is where we belong. And soon, my beloved Scar... we shall reclaim your kingdom," she said to the sky. She then paused and looked down to her right, seeing a group of lions accompanied by a bird and a turtle. "Looks like we have some visitors. Why don't you two greet them? And take Kovu with you!"

"Come on, kiddo," Nuka chuckled as Vitani picked Kovu up by the scruff, "Let's go make Mom proud..."

* * *

"Hate to burst your bubble, but if you're from the same world as Ed and Al, then your world's been destroyed," Riku said to Ling.

"DON'T TELL HIM THAT JUST YET!" Ed roared.

_"Destroyed? HA! That means no more Father and my dear brethren. I'm free!" Greed cheered._

"Oh dear..." Ling whimpered in response to both Greed and Riku. He lowered his head and his ears and tail drooped as well, "This is not good."

"Is he talking to us?" Alphonse asked Edward. Sora just shrugged.

"Dude, this guy's lost his noggin."

"I'm not crazy!" Ling whined, "Just-"

"Bi-polar?"

"NO!"

Ed shrugged. "You guys will get use to it," he said and turned to his brother, but didn't answer his question.

"Well, don't worry," Kairi said, falling behind and trotting alongside Ling. "We'll restore your world back to normal."

"Is that even possible, sweet cheeks?" Greed asked, taking over as Ling let his guard down. "Ah, oh well. I guess that's alright. I'll still take over the world when it's restored. GAHhahahahahahahaha!"

"This is more of a headache than confusing..." Riku muttered, pissed off at Ling's changing personality.

_Ling, still a human in his head, crossed his arms and legs in frustration, "I'm getting sick of hearing this world domination crap, can you please talk about something else for once? And don't pull that 'I'm greedy as hell' stuff again..."_

Seeing the irritation on Greed's face with Ling, Al could deduce that he could agree with Riku: it was a headache. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm staying out of this, I think I'm going to pass out from this telling who's who thing..." Sora said, shaking his head.

"I'll be fine," Riku said and shoved himself between Greed and Kairi.

Greed huffed and glared. "Fine, fine, you win brat. I won't talk about world domination anymore. So who is this Simba guy anyway? He sounds important," he asked Sora.

_"Watch it, Greed! No ideas!" Ling scolded._

Sora blinked, "Umm, he's the king of the Pride Lands."

"THE KING!" Alphonse exclaimed, "Wait... can lions be kings?"

"Well, they are called the King of the Jungle," Donald said.

"But... we're not in the jungle."

"Still, he's the king of the pack. And lions are at the top of the food chain, so of course they rule over all living things," Riku explained.

"I see. I see..." Greed said, nodding and ignoring Ling. _'Relax, pipsqueak. I'm not doing anything!_ Greed said, communicating to Ling in his head now.

"LIAR!" Ling exclaimed... forgetting that he was now in control again.

Alphonse appeared to blink, "Excuse me?"

"Oh... oh crap..."

"Yo, Greed-dude," Sora said, knocking on Ling's head, "Stop making him look stupid, okay? We'd all appreciate it."

"Brother's still going to call him idiot prince though..." Alphonse muttered.

"You're a prince?"

Ling nodded, "Uh-huh. Hopefully with Greed's help I can become emperor of Xing..." _IF HE'D JUST BEHAVE EVERY ONCE AND A WHILE!_

_"Hey, Ling! Tell the spiky haired kid to shove it. I'll do what I want!" Greed said to Ling, expecting that Ling was actually going to relay his message to Sora._

"I have a feeling Greed said something rude to Sora..." Ed said and sweat dropped.

"Speaking of Simba, do you guys know if we're any closer to the Pride Lands, or are we getting more lost?" Riku asked, seeing that their surroundings were still dry and dead.

"This looks a lot like where Scar and the Hyenas use to hang out..." Goofy noted.

"SCAR!" Ed yelled in surprise.

"T-The Ishvalan!" Alphonse asked, shivering and rattling his armor.

Ling shook his head, completely ignoring Greed, "No no no, not him!"

"Ish...Valan?" Sora asked, confused, "I think we're not on the same page here. Scar was Simba's evil uncle, who killed his brother and blamed it on him to take the throne in the Pride Lands."

"Oh... So no 'X'-shaped scar? A-And red eyes?" Alphonse asked, calming down.

"Just a scar over his green eye."

"So this is not the same Scar we're thinking of then..." Ed said, confirming his worry.

"But don't worry, Scar should be dead now that Sora and Simba defeated him," Goofy said and smiled.

"So what's up with this area? It's as if evil still lurks here," Kairi pointed out.

"Good question," Sora said worriedly, "I hope we don't run into any hyenas. Last time they saw us, they tried to eat us!"

"Hyenas eating a lion? That doesn't sound right," Alphonse commented.

"Well," Ling guessed, "If you lived in a place like this and were really hungry, you'd eat a lion too, right?"

"That would be cannibalism!" Donald quacked.

_"Sounds like fun! I wonder what a lion tastes like," Greed said, laughing. "I bet Fullmetal tastes like shrimp."_

"Maybe it's because you're so puny," Riku said, smirking.

"I'M NOT PUNY!" Ed yelled, not realizing that was directed to Sora, Donald and Goofy.

Sora rammed into Riku's side with a laugh, "Shut up, Riku!"

"Eww..." Ling shuddered, commenting on Greed's statement. He then felt a shudder down his spine. "Umm... are we being followed?"

"I think it's just paranoia on your part, Ling," Alphonse chuckled defensively.

"Reasonable paranoia," said a dark female voice from behind the make-shift pride.

Ed quickly spun around, keyblade summoned. "Hoofs dere?" he asked, though it was difficult talking with his keyblade in his mouth. _'Dammit! This feels awkward!'_

"Whoa! Cool! Pipsqueak's got a new toy!" Greed said, taking over again and not paying much attention to the others.

"Looks like your paranoia was right..." Riku muttered, getting in a defensive stance.

Kovu flattened his ears and stayed quiet, looking up to see his mother observing them closely.

Alphonse noticed his sword became his claws as he couldn't open his mouth, "Oooh~"

"Come out with your paws up!" Sora demanded.

_"And they call me and idiot..." Ling sighed._

Nuka and Vitani prowled out of the shadows with dark grins on their faces.

"Never seen you around here before," Purred Vitani, the one who had spoken before.

Nuka chuckled, "Which means you're trespassers here in the Outlands. And do you know what we _do_ to trespassers?"

"Umm... kill them?" Alphonse guessed.

"Dammit! You ruined it! You're supposed to be scared of us!"

Vitani smacked her brother, "Ugh, Nuka! Forget it, let's just do what Mother wanted!"

"W-Wait!" Kovu protested. "Why do we have to hurt them? They did nothing wrong!" he said, running in front of his older siblings.

Greed smirked, finally noticing the others. "Ah...Locals, huh?" he asked walking up to Nuka and grinned. "This place is a dump anyway. I dare you to smack me! Go on... do it!"

Riku blinked. "What is he? An idiot?"

"Apparently..." Kairi whispered.

"Oh no..." Ed muttered, knowing what Greed was up to. He wanted the older lion to hurt himself on his ultimate shield.

"Greed, don't-" Alphonse protested, but backed off when he realized it wouldn't be any good.

Nuka growled, taking the bait. "With pleasure!" He lifted up one of his paws, claws fully extended and swiped... but it didn't connect like he thought it would.

"!"

"Nuka!" Vitani cried, seeing her older brother in pain.

"OW OW OW OW! THAT HURT! My claws are broken!"

"That's not all is broken! Your paw's all messed up!"

Sora's eyes widened, "Look... Look at his F-FACE! What is that thing!"

_"Oh yes, that ugly ass thing..." Ling snorted, "I know I may be a cat right now, but still, it's my beautiful face!"_

"Are you okay, big brother?" Kovu asked, going over to Nuka to look at his paw.

Greed fell over with laughter, his entire body was now rock hard and blue. "MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How do you like my rock hard shield? Hard as a diamond!" Greed said and crouched low to the ground, his butt sticking up in the air like he was ready to play. "So who's next? You?" he asked, looking at Vitani. "Or how about you?" he asked, grinning at Kovu.

"How dare you do that to my brother!" Kovu said and pounced out, ready to fight Greed, letting out a pitiful little roar.

"HAHA! Is that the best you got, kid?"

"I'll show you!" Kovu said, ready to swipe at Greed, but was suddenly pulled back by the tail by Vitani.

"Greed, enough!" Ed called to him.

"Oh, c'mon! I wasn't really gonna hurt the little squirt... Unless he hurts himself like this guy did," Greed said, rolling on to his back like a happy kitty.

"L-Let's get out of here, Nuka!" Vitani cried, grabbing Kovu by the scruff and taking off.

Nuka began to limp away before quickly turning back and shouting, "Y-You'll be sorry! Just you wait, Kovu here's going to be the next King!"

When they were gone, Alphonse collapsed onto his belly, "How stressful..."

"Next King!" Sora growled, "Not on my watch! Now we have a new reason to see Simba!"

"I agree. This is a serious problem," Kairi said, sighing in relief that they were gone.

Greed came trotting back, grinning (though in his ultimate shield form, it always looked like he was grinning.) "HA! How was that! Piece of cake!" he said happy only to have Ed glare at him. "What?"

"Change out of that form! You're scaring everybody! And bring Ling back here!" Ed growled.

"Fine..." Greed said, changing back to normal.

"Dude, what's up with that freaky form?" Riku asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He's a homunculus. They have strange powers. His is called the Ultimate Shield," Ed explained.

Ling, back in his own skin, shook out his fur, "Ooh~ it always feels weird when he does that. I'm all tingly."

"Ultimate Shield, huh?" Sora asked, "How does it work?"

"He manipulates the carbon atoms in his system to turn his skin into Grapheme," Alphonse explained.

"And if I knew how to do it myself, I wouldn't let him take over during a fight," Ling pouted.

"Well, technically when you have your own body, you're human and when he takes over, then your body is a homunculus."

"Well that sucks!"

"Hey! I think I see Pride Rock," Goofy said, looking out ahead of them.

"So that's Pride Rock? I can see why," Kairi said, smiling. "It's so big!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go before this place gets any creepier!" Ed said and ran in the direction of all the greenery.

**End chapter 16**


	17. Chapter 17: Pride Lands part 2

**Chapter 17: Pride Lands part 2**

"WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED DOWN THERE!" Zira roared as her cubs came back.

"Nuka hurt his paw! Some freak lion did it!" Vitani cried to her mother.

Nuka shook his head, "One minute he was fat and plushy, and the next he's hard as a rock! We're terribly sorry, Mother!"

Zira let out an earth shattering roar, making her cubs cower in fear. "Dammit! A couple of outsiders! This is not good. They're probably friends with Simba..." she said, pacing back and forth. She then turned to look at Kovu who backed up a bit. "My dear, son," she said, pulling him close. "You showed such bravery against them. You made your mother proud," she said and grinned.

"Uh...T-Thank you...Mother..." he said, bowing his head a bit.

"Lion trouble, huh?" came a voice from above. On the ledge, standing over them, was a dark furred leopard with stern, commanding eyes. It was Roy Mustang. He leapt down and studied Nuka's paw. "Didn't expect him here, but this is Greed's doing alright."

"G-Greed? That's the jerk who hurt me!"

"Well... sorta... it's complicated." He ran his paw through his black fur and then studied it. _'Spots huh? Ironic...'_

Just then, a cheetah jumped down next to Roy, most likely Riza. "Use this potion..." Riza said, throwing a small bottle that rolled next to Nuka. "It should heal your hurt paw."

Zira growled and marched over to the two newcomers. "And just who are you? Are you part of THEIR group as well?" she growled threateningly. "Get out of here! Or I'll MAKE you leave!"

Kovu crouched low to the ground, looking at the newcomers, his ears flattened.

"No, we're not," Roy assured Zira. _'Unfortunately…'_ He shook his head of that thought, "I'm here to help you."

Nuka, suspicious, opened the potion and dipped his hurt paw in it. As Riza promised, it was restored. "M-Mother! They were right! I'm healed!"

Zira looked to Nuka then turned her head back to Roy and Riza, glaring at them suspiciously before giving in. "Fine. I will accept your help. So what can you tell me about that group of outsiders," she asked, pacing back and forth.

Roy forced a smile, "I thought you'd never ask..." _'I was afraid she was going to ask that...'_

_

* * *

_

"Finally, I'm out of that hell-hole!" Ling cried happily as he took off after Edward, bouncing.

Sora and Alphonse began to laugh and they too took off like the playful cubs that they currently were.

Donald shook his head and sighed, "Okay..."

"Kyyya!" Alphonse cried as he tackled Edward in the tall savannah grass. "Gotcha!"

Sora, on the other hand, had his guard up. He knew Riku would do the same at any time.

Ling rolled over on his back like Greed had done before, "The sun feels so nice! So warm... just wish I was human... AND LAN FAN! OH HOW I MISS LAN FAN!"

"Who's Lan Fan?" Donald asked.

"My bodyguard and closest friend! She must have been left behind when Amestris was destroyed!"

"BAH! Al, you're heavy!" Ed yelped as he was tackled by his brother.

"Will you guys knock it off? Just because we're out of that creepy place, doesn't mean heartless won't show up!" Riku hissed as they journeyed through the tall grass.

Kairi didn't say anything, but was letting the warm sun hit her face, sighing.

"Hey, isn't that Simba?" Goofy said, seeing a male lion with a little cub. It looked like he was trying to keep her from running away and getting her attention.

It was Simba. He rolled his eyes at his cub. "Kiara... are you listening? Accidents can happen. You could easily get hurt, or stepped-"

Kiara sighed, saying this well-practiced line along with her father, finishing it for him, "'...Hurt, or stepped on, or even get lost.'"

"And remember,... I want you to stay in sight of Pride Rock at all-"

"At all times, I know. 'And if I see any strangers, don't talk to them. Come straight home.' Okay, okay. Can I go now? Please?"

"SIMBA!" Sora called out to the adult lion.

He looked up and smiled, seeing the familiar face. "Sora! It's good to see you again! What are you doing here? And who are your new friends?"

"Just here for a checkup," He replied, trotting over to him, tail held up high.

Alphonse rolled over to let Edward escape and allow him to introduce himself.

Ed immediately got up and pounced on top of Sora, grinning. "Nice to meet you. I'm Edward! That there is my brother, Alphonse."

Riku put away his keyblade and smiled. "I'm Riku and this here is Kairi."

"Nice to see you again, Simba!" Goofy greeted.

_"So he's the head honcho, huh?" Greed said, laughing from inside Ling._

"And I'm Ling, Prince of Xing!" Ling introduced himself happliy. "_Don't ruin this for me, Greed! Keep quiet and let me handle the introductions, okay?"_

Simba nodded and pushed Kiara forward, "And this is my daughter. Kiara, why don't you introduce yourself to some of Daddy's friends?"

She pouted and then stuck up her nose, not giving eye-contact, "I'm Princess Kiara. How do you do?" She mocked, bowing.

"Kiara! Ugh, never mind, just go off and play already... AND REMEMBER WHAT I TOLD YOU!"

"Yeah yeah, I know..." And she scampered off into the tall grass.

Alphonse tilted his head, "She's not very polite is she?"

"No, just not as mature as most cubs. Maybe I spoil her too much..."

"Or maybe it's those harsh rules," Sora corrected him.

"I've established them for a reason though. After what happened to me when I was a cub and with Scar's followers still in the Outlands, I have reason to be so cautious."

Ed shrugged. "So they're outsiders... We ran into a couple of them when we arrived here. Apparently we were on their land," he muttered.

"They were saying that the little black lion cub is going to be King," Riku said, shrugging from Simba's surprised look.

"Black lion cub? This one?" Simba asked, talking about the previously introduced prince.

"NO NO NO NO!" Ling corrected, "I'm not interested in this throne! I'm interested in my father's! Sorry, I forgot about my current condition..." "Though I'm sure you'd be more than interested in his offer, wouldn't you Greed?"

Sora nodded, "He's called Kovu. He kinda looked like Scar... but a lot less threatening."

"I bet Scar did too as a kitten," Alphonse guessed.

"My father never talked about his cubhood much," Simba admitted, "But nonetheless, that's good information to hear. This must be Zira's doing then."

_'HAhahahaha! If he offers you the throne, you should take it kid!' Greed said happily._

"Anyway, how have things been, Simba?" Goofy asked. "How's Nala?"

"I'm doing fine, thanks," Nala said, appearing behind Simba and smiled. "It's good to see you guys again. And I see there's some new faces as well."

Everyone re-introduced themselves again to Nala, but Ling left out the prince part this time. "Haha, funny. That's NOT happening!"

"It is good to see you too, Nala," Sora said happily.

Donald nodded, "Kiara looks just like you!"

"They just met of course," Simba told his mate, "But she decided to go off and play before they could get to know her better. I hope you sent Zazu or Timon and Pumbaa after her."

Sora snickered at the mention of the meerkat and warthog.

Nala shrugged. "No, I didn't actually. Don't worry, she'll be fine," she reassured him, just as Timon and Pumba approached the group.

"Whoa! Geez, more lions, eh?" the meerkat said from atop of Pumba's head. "SORA!" Timon said, raising his arms up happily.

"Timon! Pumbaa!" Sora called.

"Hakuna Matata, buddy!" Pumbaa greeted back, "How's life?"

"Hakuna Matata, of course!"

Alphonse just stared. "Ha...Hakuna...?"

"...Matata...?" Ling finished.

Donald laughed, "It means 'no worries'."

"My new motto!" Ling announced now that he understood it.

Alphonse sighed, "Wish it could be mine. I'm always worrying about Ed..."

"And I'm always worrying about Al..." Ed muttered back. "Plus our motto is to keep moving forward and find another way."

"It doesn't sound as cool..." Riku said and sweat dropped.

"Shut up!"

"So what brings you guys back to the Pride Lands? There haven't been any heartless since Scar's death," Nala said, smiling. "There has to be some other reason besides coming to see us."

"Well, there has been trouble in other worlds," Kairi admitted. "And we're searching for the King and some of Ed and Al's friends..." she said, leaving out the part that their friends joined the darkness.

"Plus there's been news that Zira's starting to pick up on Scar's unfinished business," Simba said.

"I've been meaning to ask," began Sora, "You mentioned her name before. Who is she?"

"She was Scar's mate long ago. She was to be Queen of the Pride before we got rid of Scar. She's one of the exiles in the Outlands."

Alphonse nodded, "And the mother to those cubs that ambushed us. I see."

"I just hope that Kiara doesn't wander that far. The Outlands are the main reason I set up those rules. If that pride gets a hold of her..." He shook his head to expel the thought from his mind.

Nala chuckled, thinking of her daughter. "Simba. Who does she remind you of? Hmm?" she asked, tilting her head at him.

_Greed sighed. "Man, all of this mushy family business is boring! If they're that worried about the kid, then maybe they should send someone after her," Greed said, fighting the urge to take over at that moment._

That's actually not a bad idea, Greed," Ling said aloud.

"Huh?" Sora asked, "What did he say?"

"Oh! He suggested we send someone after her."

Alphonse nodded, "Good idea. I'll go."

"We're coming too!" Said Pumbaa, speaking for both himself and Timon, "We promised Simba we'd look after her."

"Wow, Greed's being helpful for once," Ed said and laughed.

"Shut up, Pipsqueak," Greed said, taking over since he knew Ling wasn't going to say it for him.

"I'M NOT A PIPSQUEAK!"

"No worries, Simba. We'll be on her like stink on a warthog!" Timon said, saluting.

"Good thing I can't smell!" Alphonse laughed.

"Say... I just noticed something..." Sora said, studying Greed, "I think I figured out how to tell them apart!"

"There's a way to do that?"

"Greed's bangs are on the right and his eyes are purple while Ling's bangs are on the left and his eyes are blue!"

_"How observant! Did you hear that, Greed? Even in the same body, we're two different people!"_

Alphonse tilted his head to the side, "Oh yeah... I SEE IT!"

Greed grinned. "You're a smart whip, kid," he said, making Riku snort in disagreement.

"Wow, I have never noticed that before... I normally can tell them apart by their personalities and voices," Ed said, shrugging. Since when did hair move on its own?

"Alright, guys. I'm counting on you. Danger could be lurking behind every corner," Simba said, seeing the group off.

"Ah ha!" Timon said and he and Pumba began looking around as they took off.

"I bet that's how we'll be able to tell them apart when we're human too," Alphonse added as they lumbered along the savannah.

Sora laughed, "I'm just surprised that me meeting them for the first time, I was able to figure it out and you've known them longer than me!"

"Feels weird being called a 'them' to me," Ling commented, "But then again..."

Donald shook his head, "Sora, you point out the craziest things."

Pumbaa shrugged, "I dunno. From what I can tell that's good information to know."

"If you say so..." Ed shrugged. "So where are we suppose to find this kid? The Pride Lands are HUGE!" he said, looking out across the field, seeing a few antelope grazing.

"Hmm...Simba was a bit vague," Kairi said.

"Well, what's the most exciting place around here? That's most likely where the kid went. Exploring," Greed said.

Riku just stared at him. "The outlands..."

_"NOT THERE AGAIN!"_

"There might be Heartless!" Sora exclaimed.

Alphonse nodded, "Or worse, that exiled pride!"

"Quack!" Donald agreed, "We have to hurry over there!"

"UGH! Dammit, I was hoping this would be an easy mission!" Ed complained and started heading back to the Outlands.

"Missions are never easy, Ed," Alphonse corrected his brother.

Sora shrugged, "I dunno, I've been on some pretty easy missions before.

**End chapter 17.**


	18. Chapter 18: Pride Lands part 3

**Chapter 18: Pride Lands part 3**

Kiara had wandered off pretty far. In fact, she had disobeyed her father in more ways than one by crossing into the Outlands. She couldn't even see Pride Rock. "Oh well, no biggie. I can always find my way home." She hummed to herself as she crossed a river on a log, when suddenly she lost her balance and tumbled off... onto another lion cub.

Kovu gets up and snarls at her. "Who are you, Pridelander?"

Kiara didn't answer, but suddenly kept jumping from side to side, staying facing Kovu at all times. It was weird to watch, but there was a method to her madness.

"What are you doing?" Kovu asked, getting out of defensive mode as he raised an eyebrow at her.

"My father says to never turn your back on an Outsider!" Kiara explained, still bouncing around.

"You always do what Daddy says?" Kovu asked, grinning.

"No!" Kiara responed, upset. She had stopped bouncing at this point and eyed Kovu carefully.

"Bet you do. Bet you're Daddy's little girl! Ha ha! " Kovu said and moved away, hopping on a few logs across the river. "An Outsider doesn't need anybody. I take care of myself!"

Kiara was awed by the other cub and started following him across, "Really? Cool!"

Kovu looks back at Kiara and notices a huge crocodile behind her with its mouth gaping wide. "Wuhh... waaaahh!"

She turned and saw the crocodile, "Aaaaahhh! Run!" she cried just as the crocodile's teeth crunched just behind them, "This way!"

They narrowly escaped, leaping from rock to rock across the river and out of the reach of the crocodiles' jaws as more and more rose up out of the water. They then rested on two unmoving stones further down, and began to pant and giggle.

"That was a close one," Kovu said, still panting but smiled.

"Yeah..." Kiara agreed, also out of breath. Suddenly, the stones they were sitting on rose up and reveal themselves as more crocodile heads.

"Whooaaahhh..."

Kiara ran up a tree limb, getting out of reach; however, Kovu ran past her, leaping from crocodile to crocodile down the river.

"Hey… what about me!" She yelled to Kovu in fear.

"I'll distract them. Run!" Kovu yelled but slipped off the last crocodile and falls into the water, coming up and gasping for air as the crocodile looms over him.

While Kovu was paralyzed by fright, the gaping mouth in front of him was suddenly clamped shut by Kiara leaping on top of it.

"Move it!" She cried, saving his life.

* * *

Meanwhile, Alphonse was curious how predator and prey could live in harmony among the Pride Lands. "Okay, how come you guys are such good friends with Simba? I don't get it."

"Well, Timon and I actually raised the little guy when his dad died," Pumbaa explained, "Of course, at the time, we didn't know who he was."

_"So then if he lived with those guys since he was a kid, what did he eat?" Ling inquired, "They certainly didn't eat meat, right?"_

"Yeah! Simba's like a son to us!" Timon said happily.

"So what _DID_ you guys eat when raising him?" Greed asked Ling's question for him.

"Bugs of course! I always go for the crunchy ones."

"EW! That sounds gross!" Kairi said, sticking her tongue out.

"Don't listen to my misguided friend here, a true conessiour eats the slimy bugs!" Pumbaa said proudly.

"That's even more gross!" Alphonse complained, "I don't even have a stomach and I'm disgusted."

Sora laughed, "Don't knock it 'till you try it!"

_"Oh don't tell me..."_

"What are you talking about, Pumbaa? The crunchy ones are better!" Timon said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Ew, Sora, did you really try it?" Kairi asked, looking to him.

Ed shrugged. "I've eaten ants before... They tasted nasty, but at least it kept me alive," he said, thinking back to when he and Al were on Yock Island.

_"I'm so hungry right now, that actually is starting to sound appetizing! Greed-san, why do you never let me eat!"_

Sora laughed, "I sure did! It actually wasn't that bad!

"If I recall, those ants were really spicy," Alphonse commented, "But I forgot what exactly spice tastes like so..."

"STOP TALKING ABOUT FOOD!" Ling's stomach began to growl in hunger, greatly irritating Greed, but causing everyone else to laugh.

_As Ling yelled that, he somehow took over his body again and Greed was stuck back inside. "Dammit! Why is it I always loose to your stomach!" he said and sighed._

"I'm hungry too...But we have to find Kiara," Riku said, looking around. "Did anyone else hear screaming?"

"That sounded like Kiara!" Sora exclaimed, suddenly running in the direction of the scream.

"Sora!" Alphonse yelled after him, "Wait for us!"

Ling laughed, not just at Greed, but at how familiar Al yelling that was to him.

"You don't think it's heartless, do you!" Ed yelled, summoning his keyblade and chased after Sora.

"Let's hope not!" Sora cried back.

The two cubs scrambled up a branch and up onto the bank, out of reach of danger. From the top, they panted and rested for a few moments before moving back to look over the edge. The crocodiles were massing below, furious at being cheated of their meal.

"I did it... I did it!" She then raspberries the crocodiles below in celebration.

The others, not too far away, skidded to a halt to see the two cubs in the distance. "Huh?" asked Alphonse, "Where's the Heartless?"

"Hey! I recognize that cub! He's was with the one Greed beat up! That's the one that looks like me!" Ling exclaimed.

"Hah!" Kovu said, mocking the crocodiles as he and kiara moved away from the ledge.

_"Man...what a disappointment!" Greed said sighing. "All it was was two brats playing."_

Ed made his keybalde disappear and watched them closely. "Well, we were right. Kiara did come to the outlands. But...is it really a bad thing?"

"Whoah, man-" Kiara said happily, "Did you see the size of those teeth? They were goin' 'Rrrarrarrarr'..." She rolled over on her back and laughed, "He was just totally eatin' you up right there, and I jumped on his head- and I bopped him so good-" She laughed again, "We make such a good team! And you... you were really brave!"

"So that explains the screaming," Sora said with a nod.

Donald perched on Al's back, "So then now what? Do we just watch them?"

"I don't know," Pumbaa replied worriedly, "Simba's gonna be real mad if he finds out Kiara was here in the Outlands."

"Yeah... you were pretty brave too. My name's Kovu," Kovu said proudly.

Riku shrugged. "I guess if we just keep a close eye on them, then I don't see what the big deal is. What Simba doesn't know won't hurt him, right?"

"I guess so..." Kairi said unsure.

"But if Simba DOES find out, he'll KILL US!" Timon said in a panic.

"I'm Kiara." She then crouched down playfully, waving her tail, reaching out and batting him.

"Tag! You're it!"

She jumped back laughing but instead of chasing her, Kovu just looked at her silently. She then decided to try again.

"Tag! You're it! You're it!" Still she got no response as he just stared at her.

"Hello? You run, I tag... get it? What's the matter? Don't you know how to play?"

"Appearently..." Sora sighed to himself.

Donald then hissed at him to be quiet.

Kiara then got an idea. She crouched down and went back to playing his way, with bared teeth and growled.

He gets the idea and mock-growls back, but suddenly he finds himself growling at Simba's leg. Simba roars, and Zira jumps out of the grass and roars back.

The others panicked a bit when they saw Simba and Zira appear, going over to join Simba's back as if they had just arrived.

"Zira..." Simba muttered.

"Simba!" Zira said back, a bit happy to see him alone, but was disappointed when she saw Sora and rest join him, along with Nala and a few other lionesses.

"Nala..."

"Zira..." Nala sneered.

"Timon, Pumbaa. Great. Now that we all know each other… GET OUTTA OUR PRIDE LANDS!" Timon yelled.

"Your Pride Lands?" Zira said and roared, making Timon hide under Pumbaa's fur in fear. "These lands belonged to Scar."

"I banished you from the Pride Lands! Now you and your young cub... get out!" Simba growled.

Sora nodded and summoned his keyblade into his mouth, "Or we'll make you!"

"Just not the cub," Ling said quietly to himself, staying back, "I wouldn't feel comfortable attacking that poor little thing."

"Oh... haven't you met my son, Kovu? He was hand-chosen by Scar to follow in his pawprints... and become King!" Zira said, circling her cub so that Kovu was now in front of Simba.

When Simba looked down at him and growled, Kovu shrinked back in fear and started shaking.

"Pbbb! That's not a king... that's a fuzzy maraca!" Timon said, now out of hiding.

_"If you ask me, kid needs to grow a backbone..." Greed muttered, observing Kovu._

Ed had his keyblade summoned as well, but he was more focused on Zira.

Kairi's ears flattened. She felt bad for the cub.

"Kovu was the last born before you exiled us to the Outlands, where we have little food, less water..." Zira said dramatically.

Simba growled once again, "You know the penalty for returning to the Pride Lands!"

"A good butt-kicking for starters!" Pumbaa chimed in.

Ling looked up in frustration at his forehead, as if to try and glare at Greed, _"He's just a kid, Greed! Go easy on your judgments."_

_"Yeah, yeah, yeah, squinty... Whatever," Greed said and shrugged._

"But the child does not! However... if you need your pound of flesh... here," Zira said and nudges Kovu toward Simba, daring him to show either ruthlessness or cowardice.

"Take him and get out. We're finished here." Simba warned before he picked up Kiara in his teeth. Quite frankly, he was disgusted Zira would offer up her own cub.

Sora let his keyblade disappear and snorted, "You got lucky this time, lady."

"Ugh," Alphonse sighed, "How disgusting, she's not fitting to be a mother..."

"You can say that again," Ed said and made his keyblade disappear as well, glaring at Zira.

"Oh no, Simba... we have barely begun," she said and glares wickedly at Kiara, then turns and picks up Kovu in her jaws. He and Kiara watch each other dangle as they move apart.

Riku shrugged and began to follow Simba away from the Outlands.

"I hope he doesn't scold us for what happened..." Kairi whispered to Riku who in turn told her to shush.

Once within sight of Pride Rock, Sora looked back at the King. "S-Simba?" He asked, wondering if it was okay to talk.

Obviously it wasn't as he cleared his throat, with Kiara still in his mouth.

Nala smiled back at him, understanding that it was time for The Talk. She and the rest of the pride moved off back home. Simba dropped Kiara, who grinned ingratiatingly up at him as he glared sternly back. She looked at the ground, sighing.

"Kiara, what did you think you were doing? You could have been killed today."

"But Daddy, I- I didn't mean to disobey-"

"I'm telling you this because I love you. I don't wanna lose you."

"I know..."

"If something happened to you, I don't know what I'd do. One day I won't be here... and I need you to carry on in my place. You are part of the great Circle of-"

"Circle of Life. I know."

"Exactly. And you need to be careful. As future Queen-"

"But what if I don't wanna be Queen? It's no fun."

"That's like saying you don't want to be a lion. It's in your blood... as I am. We are part of each other."

Alphonse looked over at Edward, appearing to smile. "'Circle of Life', huh? Reminds me of 'All is One, One is All'."

"What?" Donald asked.

"Something like that..." Ed said and shrugged at Al's comment. "Though their Circle of Life sounds more friendly than 'One is All, All is One..."

"I don't get it..." Goofy said and looked to Donald puzzled.

"Alchemy stuff..." Riku clarified and rolled his eyes.

Simba smiled, "As long as you live here, it's who you are." He then hugged her and licked her side, lifting her body off the ground. Still, she seemed unconvinced. He laughed and pat her on the head, "You'll understand someday."

"I get it," Alphonse said to himself proudly.

Ling shook his head, "I don't..." _Especially with my own current identity crisis..._

_Greed snickered inside Ling's head. "Hey, Ling! We are one!" he said, laughing hysterically._

"Man, that lion cub should not be with that lady..." Ed muttered, plopping his butt on the nearest rock.

"Still... she IS his mother," Kairi said sadly.

_I wish I could say I regret that decision, but I don't..._ But his thought was interrupted with his stomach growling again. He plopped down on his stomach, legs sprawled out in all directions. "Oooh..."

"Still hugry, Ling?" Alphonse asked, sitting down next to his brother.

"Uh huh... But I don't want to go out and... and..."

"Kill something?"

"Uggghhh..."

Sora sighed and rolled over onto his back, "That's a really disturbing thought. The only thing we can eat is an innocent animal or..."

"Grubs!" Pumbaa exclaimed, "We can bring you some, right Timon?"

"Precisely!" Timon exclaimed and hopped down from his roost on Pumbaa's head. "C'mon! Follow us! We'll show you where the best bugs live!"

"Well...I guess it's better than nothing. Although hunting for my own meat sounds good too," Ed said, remembering that he and Al ate all kinds of animals on Yock Island.

Ling jumped onto Al's back for transportation, "Onward!"

"Why me?" Al asked, shaking his head.

"I think it's because you're the biggest," Sora chuckled, "And because you can't feel weight, you're the best pack mule we've got!"

"But I'm a lion! Oh dear, that didn't sound right at all..."

* * *

Mean while in the Outlands, Vitani was tugging on a root, growling. Nuka approached her from behind.

"Kovu, Kovu, Kovu," He muttered to himself, "Scar wasn't even his father. He just took him in..." He turned his attention to his sister. "Oh hey, Vitani. Where's the little termite, Kovu? The 'chosen one'." Nuka touched the root with a claw, causing it to snap and Vitani to tumble backward. Nuka guffawed at the scene.

"Nuka!" She exclaimed, "Where's Kovu? Did you leave him out there on his own again?"

"Hey- it's every lion for himself out here. That little termite's gotta learn to be on his own." Ironically, Nuka was ridden with vermin and termites and therefore continually scratching himself.

"Mother's gonna be mad. She told you to watch him!"

"Oh, who cares? I should've been the chosen one." He began scratching his back against the tree trunk, "I'm the oldest, I'm the strongest, I'm the smartest- Ooogh! These termites!" He proceeded to roll around, scratching every place he can find on his body. Vitani chuckled at Nuka's condition. "I could be a leader, if she'd just give me a chance!"

"Yeah right. Why don't you tell that to her?"

"Yeah? Don't think I won't!"

"Oh yeah?" Vitani snickered, "Here's your chance."

Zira walked slowly by Nuka, carrying Kovu in her mouth. She ignored Nuka entirely as he greeted her.

"What? Oh... Mother! Mother, hi!" He laughed nervously, "Mother, I caught some field mice for your dinner, I left 'em by the, um... by the... okay."

As Zira dropped Kovu, Vitani pounced next to him. "Hey, Kovu. You wanna... fight?" She mock-snarled at him, getting the cub excited.

Zira then turns to Nuka, frightening him. "You were supposed to be watching him!"

"It's not his fault! I went off on my own!" Kovu said in Nuka's defense.

Zira turns to Kovu, backing him up along the ground with her words. "What were you doing?"

"N-nothing!"

"Who has made us Outsiders?"

"Simba!"

"Who killed Scar?"

"Simba!"

"And what have I told you about them?" Zira said, continuing to sneer at her son.

"Sorry, mother! ...Sh-she didn't seem so bad. I thought we could be-" Kovu started, but was interrupted.

"Friends?" Zira yelled, making Kovu shrink back in fear. "You thought you'd get to the daughter. And Simba would welcome you with open arms? What an idea! ..." she said and pauses, reconsidering. "What an idea! You brilliant child-" she said, grabbing him by the tail and pulling him in closer. I'm so proud of you! You have the same conniving mind that made Scar so... powerful."

"Yecch," Nuka groaned, causing Zira to glare and snarl at him. She then picked up Kovu and carried him into a cave as Nuka glowered, "Ugh. The 'chosen one'."

Zira carries Kovu into the den and drops him on a hallow tree trunk, making him land with a grunt. "I now see the path to our glorious return to power!" she hissed, raising her paws up in the air, making the shadow behind her look big.

"But I don't want-" Kovu began.

"Hush!" she said harshly, then calmed a bit. "Hush, my little one. You must be exhausted.

_'Sleep, my little Kovu  
Let your dreams take wing  
One day when you're big and strong  
You will be a king.'_

As she sang, she tucks Kovu in.

"Good night..." he said, grinning sheepishly.

"Good night, my little prince. Tomorrow, your training intensifies..."

"Humph, you make it sound like a bad thing," Roy said from the shadows, approaching her, "But are you sure you want me to be the one doing said training?" _God knows I'd feel like an idiot doing it like this..._

Zira smirked as she approached Roy. "If you're as powerful as you say you are, then you'll be the perfect man to teach my Kovu," she said, extending her claws and wriggled her fingers a bit. "That way he can take out Simba, his daughter, AND THOSE MEDDLESOME OUTSIDERS!" she roared, swiping her claws at the wall, making an awful screeching noise.

Roy's ears flattened as Zira did that and forced out a smile. "Yeah... Don't do that again." He shook out his fur and circled the sleeping Kovu, studying him. "He's going to grow up to be strong, even without my help. But at least he'll be capable of handling himself on his own once I'm through with him."

Zira grinned evilly. "Oh, I know he will. But if training with you means getting rid of the outsiders as well, then the more training he has, the better!" she purred.

"Heh heh, of course. I will take my duties with full responsibility. That's the kind of soldier I am." Roy replied. _Too bad this wasn't exactly my choice... I have to find a way out, and fast!_ But with that thought, he winced and put a paw to his chest, his heart in immense pain once again. _Dammit! It's like that bitch can read my mind!_

Zira smiled. "I have full confidence in you," she said and left him to be alone with the sleeping cub.

Roy sighed, happy that Zira was gone and lay on his side. He put his head on his paws and groaned again in pain. "Hawkeye... How long do you think I can keep this up before losing my mind again?"

Riza was curled up in a corner, hidden in the shadows. "I don't know, sir... The best we can do is fight it off for now..." she said, frowning at his pain as she walked over to him.

Roy smiled and nuzzled her shoulder, his pain easing with her presence, "Yeah... Thanks..."

* * *

Ed sighed as Timon and Pumba led the group on. "I'm really not in the mood for bugs..." he muttered, wanting to hunt, but who would teach him in this form?

"Bugs don't sound very appetizing to me either," Kairi said, shrugging.

"Oh what are you guys talking about? This is the best smorgasbord around!" Timon said, lifting up a few rocks and old tree barks to reveal a swarm of all different kinds of bugs. "So? Who's first?" he asked and took a leaf full of bugs, holding it up to Ling's nose.

Ling sniffed the bugs and then picked one up with his paw and licked it. His ears perked up and he popped it in his mouth with satisfaction. "Wow! That's surprisingly good!"

"Ugghhh..." Alphonse shuddered, his armor making noise.

"Hey," Sora whined, "Save some for the rest of us!"

"Well... Here goes nothing," Riku said, taking a more crunchier bug and popped it in his mouth. He crunched on it a few times before swallowing it. "Tastes like a pretzel."

"Really?" Ed asked surprised.

"No, but I was hoping it would get you to eat one," he said and smirked.

"F-Fine..." Ed said and took one of the smaller bugs. It was a bright red. He then popped it in his mouth and paused.

"Well?" Timon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"SPICY!" Ed yelled and ran straight for the water hole, dunking his head in the water.

"Brother!" Alphonse cried, tempting to run after him, but remembered that his armor didn't do well in water.

Ling and Sora however, began to howl with laughter and roll on the ground.

Kairi couldn't help but giggle until Timon shoved the leaf in front of her face. She backed up immediately, sticking out her tongue in disgust.

"Don't knock it until you've tried it, young lady," Timon said, urging her on.

"A-Alright, fine..." she said, gulping down at the bugs. _'Don't eat the red ones...Don't eat the red ones...'_ she thought and picked up a slimy fat one. "W-Well... here I go," she said and slurped it up quickly, chewing on it before gulping it done. "Huh... that wasn't so bad."

Ed pulled his head out of the water and gasped. "God damn! That was worse than the time I ate those ants!"

"I wish I could sympathize..." Alphonse said sadly, approaching his brother. He then noticed his reflection in the watering hole. He tilted his head and noticed how his armor had changed. He put his paw to his face and blinked. "Curiouser and curiouser..."

Ling came up and did the same. He smiled and modeled at his reflection. "How noble I am! Lions are kings, right? I am sure to be emperor if I look this good even as an animal!"

Meanwhile, Sora was having a few bugs of his own. "Bring it on, guys! I'll eat anything!"

_Greed laughed as Ling admired himself. "Well, well... Looks like someone is greedy AS WELL as a narcissist!" he laughed, practically rolling around with laughter in his head._

Ed was sticking out his tongue constantly, trying to get rid of the spicy taste. "Man, that's horrible..." he said, afraid to eat another bug.

"Word of advice. Don't eat the red ones if you don't like spicy," Timon said, handing off the rest of the bugs to Sora.

"THANKS FOR TELLING ME THAT SOONER!"

_There is nothing wrong with knowing how well kept you are and appreciating it!_ Ling retorted.

"I like the spicy ones!" Replied Sora, apparently immune to the extremity of the heat, "It feels like a pop in my mouth! It's exciting!"

Alphonse studied his brother for a bit, "Maybe we could find something else for you?"

Ed sighed and shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine for now," he said then looked over at Sora. "So, are we looking for a keyhole in this world or not?" he asked, getting a bit tired from being a lion already.

"Er, well, last time we were here, Sora opened the gate to other worlds, so it sealed the world as well," Goofy stated.

Ed then plopped on his belly in frustration. _'Great! So this was just some wild detour...'_ he thought.

"Perhaps if we come by later, we can finally seal this world off again," Alphonse suggested, sensing his brother's discomfort.

Sora nodded and smiled, "Yeah that's true. But I don't think coming here was a complete waste. We did rescue your friend after all."

"I thank you very much for it," Ling replied with a bow, "I too would like to leave and return to normal form. I also wish to apologize for causing you grief with Greed's rude behavior."

"You're no treat yourself sometimes though..." Donald added quietly, almost getting tired of the prince's selfishness and vanity.

"Really? Can we really leave a world and come back to it?" Ed asked, standing up happily.

"Yeah..." Riku said, nodding. "Though that would put the world more in danger...It gives more time for the enemy to find the keyhole."

Ed's ears flattened and he looked down a bit shameful. "Oh...I see."

"Ah, as long as you guys come back to visit us, you're free to go where ever you like!" Timon said, stuffing one last bug into his mouth.

"We should say good bye to Simba first," Kairi noted.

"And check up on Kiara," Sora said with a nod, "You know, tell her not to get into anymore trouble while we're gone."

"Well I am satisfied," Ling said, rubbing his stomach, "Let us go then!"

**End chapter 18.**


	19. Chapter 19: Sunnyside Daycare part 1

**Chapter 19: Sunnyside Daycare part 1**

After the group said their good-byes to Simba, Nala, little Kiara and the others, they boarded the gummi ship and left for now.

Ed yawned, curling up in his seat. "I think I'm going to snooze. Wake me up when we get there..." he said, glad to be in human form again.

_"What a strange vessel..." Greed commented, viewing the gummi ship from within Ling. "But maybe we can dominate all the worlds by traveling in this thing," Greed snickered, half serious._

_Dammit, I asked you to stop with that!_ Ling hissed. Once he boarded the ship, he too changed back into human form... but his clothes had changed. He wore a long blue over coat over a long, low-cut black shirt which was tied along the waist with a dark red cloth acting as a belt. He also had white trousers and leather riding boots.

"Ooh~! Ling! You look so spiffy!" Alphonse applauded.

"D-Do you think? Greed picked it out. He likes to go shopping."

Sora shrugged, "His name _is_ Greed."

"Quack!" Donald exclaimed, "Where to next, guys?"

"_SHUT UP! You're making me sound like a sissy girl!" Greed yelled and blushed mentally._

Ed snorted, about to make a comment, but let out a huge yawn instead. "Where ever you guy wanna go..." he muttered and turned over, leaning against the window before drifting to sleep.

"We'll look at the map once we get out of the atmosphere," Riku said, head counting to make sure everyone was present before lifting the gummi ship off the ground and shooting off into space.

After the ship had stabilized in space, Ling's cheeks puffed up and he held his mouth. His face was a pale green as well. It was the universal sign of airline sickness.

"NO BLOWING CHUNKS ON THE SHIP!" Sora exclaimed.

"We don't know any spells that would clean it up..." Alphonse sweatdropped, "...At least I don't know any."

"Quack! Don't expect me to do anything about it!" Donald complained.

"Ugh! Are we really going to have another Ed on this ship?" Riku asked, quickly getting a paper bag and handing it to Ling.

_"Don't blow chunks, brat! I don't want to taste that too!" Greed yelled, not looking forward to tasting vomit. "Let me take over if you don't have the stomach for this!"_

Ed was already snoring loudly. He hadn't slept in God-knows-when. He lost track of the time traveling between worlds.

"Hey! I think I see our next stop!" Goofy said, pointing to the map.

"Oh, yeah? What is it?" Kairi asked, stiffing a yawn as well.

Ling gave in and let Greed take over. _"You think I wanted to do that myself!"_

"It's-" Sora started but Alphonse covered his mouth with his hand.

"Sshhh! Not so loud! Ed hates small children!"

"Ohh..." Donald snickered, "So then a daycare's gonna be hell for him then?"

Kairi blinked confused. "Huh? I don't get it!" she said, and walked past a snoring Edward to the map. "OH! I LOVE CHILDREN!" she squeaked out excited.

Ed rolled over and groaned. "I don't want to share my toy with that boy, mom..." he mumbled which got a snicker out of the rest of the group.

Greed looked at the map as well and smirked. "Wait until he learns we're being turned into toys..." he said, snorting, but didn't find it as funny as he wanted because he wasn't looking forward to dealing with brats either.

"So, to Sunnyside Daycare then!" Goofy said and pointed forward.

"Y...Yay?" Alphonse said in confusion. _A t-toy? Oh dear..._

_Ling crossed his arms and snorted, "Royalty being reduced to a plaything... wait a minute... Greed! You use my body as a plaything all the time! OH NO, THE IRONY!"_

Sora shrugged, "Hey, I don't care as long as we get that world locked. Who knows who could show up there?"

As soon as Riku landed the gummi ship, he sat in his seat for a moment. "I don't know if I want to go..." he said, sweat dropping.

"Aw, don't be such a party pooper, Riku!" Kairi said and started exiting the ship.

Greed sighed and went over to Ed, poking him in the cheek. "Hey! Short stuff! Wake up! We're here!"

"I'M NOT SHORT!" Ed yelled, flying out of his seat and barely missing Greed's jaw with his automail fist.

"Geez, no need to get physical, cupcake, I'm just telling you we're here."

Ed's forehead twitched at the comment "cupcake" and looked to the others. "Where exactly is HERE?"

"Umm... you'll find out soon Ed," Alphonse sweat dropped, heading outside after the others.

"What kind of world is this! It's all dark and cramped!" Sora whined. He stumbled over his feet and face planted. "Ow!"

_"And it reeks! What is this stinky place? So much for a daycare!" Ling wrinkled his nose and stuck out his tongue in response to his comment._

"Dammit, Riku, where did you land us?" Ed yelled, bumping into Al, who poked him in the back. "Ouch!"

"I don't know! It was the only place I could find to park..." Riku said then paused when he heard noises. "Shhh! Guys, wait. Listen...What's that sound?"

All of a sudden it got really bright and the gang looked up to see that they were inside a dumpster. The garbage man just happened to come buy to collect some of the trash when he noticed the group of toys lying there. "Well, what's this? Such good toys shouldn't go to waste," he said and picked up Ed and Ling, smiling at them before dropping them in an empty box and soon dropped the others in as well.

"We're TOYS!" Ed yelled as soon as the box closed. "What the heck is going on!"

"I should have told you, Ed... I'm sorry..." Alphonse whimpered. He then gasped and pointed at Ed, "ED! YOUR STUFFING'S COMING OUT!"

_"HAHAHAHA!" Ling howled from in Greed's head, "Ed is a plush toy!"_

"QUACK! I'm made of wood!" Donald cried. His legs were also wheels, but that didn't seem to faze him as much.

Sora laughed, "Guess that means no Fire spells here! Too dangerous!"

"Wait a minute," Alphonse asked, "If this was a daycare... how'd we end up in a dumpster?"

"W-Wah! How do I make it go back in?" Ed yelled in a panic, trying to shove the stuffing back inside himself. "W-Wait! Maybe I can use alchemy!" he said and clapped his hands, but nothing happened.

"Sorry, Ed. I don't think alchemy works for toys," Greed said and snickered.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Kairi looked at them all. While she was a doll for little girls, both Ed and Sora were plush toys, Riku and Ling/Greed were action figures, Al was a toy robot, Donald a wooden duck on wheels, and Goofy a squeaky toy.

"Good question!" Riku muttered. "Maybe suddenly appearing at the daycare would be too suspicious..."

Suddenly, the box jolted as if it were being picked up. _"Someone found us!" Ling cried._

"Are we being taken into the daycare now?" Alphonse asked, wringing his hands.

"I hope so!" Sora cried, clinging onto something for dear life, "I don't want to end up in the trash!"

Ed blinked, picking up his ears a bit. He thought he heard someone say _'Toys for donation.'_ as if they were reading a sign on the box. As the box shook and the group tried not to bump into each other, the box opened and they were all dumped into another box.

"OOF!" Greed yelled, landing on top of someone else.

"Hey! More toys!" cried the voice of a green dinosaur.

Ed blinked, realizing they weren't alone in the other, yet much bigger box.

"Hey, Spiky, lay off, would ya?" Said a piggy bank from underneath Alphonse.

"Oh! S-Sorry!"

"Now where the heck did these guys come from," asked a cowgirl, "The garbage?"

Sora laughed nervously, "That sounds about right actually. Who are you all?"

Another toy that look like a cowboy and the matching toy to the cowgirl tried to calm his friends down. "Alright guys, let's not scare them," he said and looked at the newcomers. "Hi, I'm Woody. This is Buzz, Jessie, Bullseye, Ham, Slinky, Rex, Barbie, Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head, and their children the aliens," he introduced. "We're all _Andy's_ toys," he said, putting emphasis on Andy as if he was trying to hint something to his friends.

Ed realized he was caught up in something springy. "Help! It's eating me!"

"Whoa there! Don't move, you got caught in my coil!" Slinky said, trying to unwrap Ed from the metal coil.

Sora laughed and nodded, "Nice to meet you. I'm Sora and this is Riku, Kairi, Donald, Goofy, Ed, Al, and... Greed I think. I dunno, it's too dark to tell if it's Greed or Ling." He leaned to Woody and whispered, "It's complicated, don't ask. You get used to it."

"Umm, if you have a child to play with, why are you in a box?" Alphonse asked.

"Because, Little Robot Boy," Buzz said, putting an arm around him, "Andy's all grown up and going to college."

"I'm not a robot..."

"Yeah and 'cause of that," Hamm added gruffly, "We decided to be donated and still be played with instead of thrown away or put in the attic!"

"I'm Greed!" Greed said a bit irritated.

"He has a split personality..." Riku muttered to Woody. "The rude one is Greed. The sissy one is Ling..." he said and smirked, hoping Ling heard that.

"I see..." Woody said and nodded. "Well, it's nice to meet you all. Good thing mom saved you guys from being trash."

"Yeah, she saved us from being trash too," Mr. Potato Head said and rolled his eyes.

"She was not throwing you out! She was putting you IN THE ATTIC!" Woody yelled frustrated.

"Yeah, like I wanted to be in the attic! That's not an alternative I'm comfortable with!" Jesse cried, hugging Bullseye.

_"I am not wimpy! Greed's just more aggressive! I'm still assertive!" Ling howled, kind of hoping Riku would hear_ that.

"Now honey," Mrs. Potatohead said hugging her husband, "Don't say those things in front of the children!"

"Daaaddyyyy..."

Alphonse shuddered at the aliens, "Creepy..."

"Okay, fine! Just wait'll you see what Day Care's like!" Woody said, crossing his arms.

"Why? What's it like?" Rex asked, blinking.

"Day Care is a sad, lonely place for washed-up old toys who have no owners," Woody described.

"That doesn't sound very fun..." Ed muttered.

Barbie burst out into tears at Woody's statement. Hamm just looked over at Woody, upset.

"Quite the charmer, aren't ya?"

"Guys, enough!" Sora exclaimed, "Just stop! I'm sure this was all one big misunderstanding!"

"Oh, you'll see! As soon as we get to Day Care, you'll be begging to go home," Woody said, sighing just as the car hits a bump and Woody tumbles. Andy's mom then pulls out the box and carries it across the parking lot.

"Can anyone see anything?" Goofy asked as the toys try to peer out the hand slots in the box.

"I see a playground!" Kairi said, getting just a tiny bit excited.

Ed shrugged. "Great..." he said, not looking forward to being tossed around. He already lost some stuffing and he wasn't touched by even one kid yet.

Through fencing they saw glimpses of kids running and playing with shouts and laughter echoing the playground. Andy's toys looked at each other in excitement.

"We hit the jackpot, Bullseye!" Jesse exclaimed, hugging the horse again.

Hamm sneered at Woody, "So much for 'sad and lonely', eh?"

"Ed," Alphonse said, "Sorry about... you know. Maybe we can fix it before the kids..."

"Okay, calm down, guys. Let's keep this in perspective..." Woody said to the group.

"Perspective? This place is perfect!" Mr. Potato Head said, shoving one of the toys aside so he can see.

"Woody, it's nice! See, the door has a rainbow on it!" Kairi pointed out. The group hadn't been toys for long, so they had no idea the horrors of getting thrown around by toddlers.

Ed looked up at his brother and frowned. "How are we suppose to do that? We can't sew..."

"Maybe someone at the day care will fix you up," Greed suggested. "Though I don't know why anyone would want to play with you," he said and began laughing.

"Shut up!"

They were then set down and could hear the muffled voices of two women.

"What are they saying?" Sora asked, trying to get a better listen. Alphonse pulled him back and hissed.

"Sora! We have to stay quiet! What if they open the box and we're moving!"

"Is that a bad thing?" Ed asked, blinking.

Woody and the others looked at him like he was crazy. "Of course that's a bad thing. It's the rule of being a toy," Woody whispered. "What's the matter? Haven't been a toy for long?"

Ed shrugged and looked away from him. "Uh...yeah, we're pretty new," he said, trying to find the right words.

"You're brand new and you were thrown away? You poor things..." Slinky said in utter shock.

"Well, don't worry about it! I'm sure this place is great! Kids playing with us all the time!" Mr. Potato Head whispered, getting excited.

"Sounds like fun!" Alphonse said happily, "I like kids!"

_"That's one of us..." Ling sighed. He could only handle his siblings, but toddlers? Even he had his limits._

Sora landed on his rear and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "So then we- WOAH!" The box shifted again as one of the women took the box away.

"Andy's mom's leaving!" exclaimed Barbie nervously.

Hamm looked up at the closed lid, "Oh here we go."

"You see any kids...?" Mr. Potato Head asked, looking through the hand holder.

"Where's she taking us?" Rex asked nervously.

The receptionist takes the new toys in the butterfly room and sets the box down before leaving. The toys then gather around, trying to get a better look.

"Ugh...I'm not looking forward to this..." Ed muttered to himself.

"Maybe it won't be too bad..." Riku said, patting Ed on the back.

"Look...!" Jesse gasped exictedly.

Sora's eyes widened, "Wow!"

"What?" Al exclaimed, trying to get a better look, "What is it?"

Outside the box was the idyllic day care classroom, filled with the happy bustle of four-and five-year-olds, playing with toys- dinosaurs, a baby doll, a pink Teddy bear, a Ken doll. Their eyes widened at the scene.

The toys stare agog. Rex then jostles for a peek. "Aaah! I can't see!"

A bell then rings and the teacher opens a door to the playground. "Alright, everyone, recess. C'mon!" she says and all the kids leave as the teacher turns off the lights and shuts the door.

"So now what do we do?" Kairi asked, blinking.

"We go back to Andy's! Anyone see an exit?" Woody asks, whispering.

"Exit schmexit! Let's get played with!" Potato Head says, making Greed groan.

"Careful! These toys might be jealous of new arrivals!" Buzz cautioned.

Alphonse began to push his way forward, "I wanna see! It's my turn!" But as he did so, the box toppled over and all the toys spilled out onto the floor.

"Oooff...!"

"Whoa!"

"Hey!"

Around the room, all the Day Care Toys stared back. Sora waved meekly. A Jack In The Box then popped up exclaiming, "New Toys!" They all cheered in excitement and they all burst into smiles.

Jessie shook hands with a ROCK MONSTER toy. "Well, howdy! Glad to meetcha!"

"Buzz Lightyear, at your service." Buzz extended his hand to a robot toy as a greeting.

Hamm, Slinky and Barbie shook hands with an octopus toy.

"Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy!" Hamm said with enthusiasm.

Rex laughs, circled by adoring little dinosaurs. An Insect Man action figure helps Kairi up. "Oh, thank you!" she said then saw his muscles. "Oh, may I?" she asked and giggled as the action figure flexes it's arm for her.

Ed stood up and saw that more of his stuffing was coming out. "Oh crap!" he said and tried to stuff it back in. "No one's gonna play with me, that's for sure..."

A crane toy circles the aliens and they all point, saying "The claw!" in unison.

"This is stupid..." Greed muttered as some of the more female toys checked him out. "On second thought..." he said and pretended to smooth back his plastic hair. "Hello, ladies!"

_HONK! HONK!_ Everyone turned at the sound of a Tonka Truck racing forward, then backing up in a quick 180 arc, revealing a large pink teddy bear in its bed. He tapped a Tinker Toy cane as the truck bed rose, 'dumping' him out. Like Bob Hope stepping off the links in Palm Springs, the bear exuded an easy, cheerful charisma.

"Well, hello there! I thought I heard new voices! Welcome to Sunnyside, folks! I'm Lots-o' Huggin' Bear! But, please, call me Lotso!"

Buzz stepped up and offered a hand. "Buzz Lightyear. We come in pea..." But Lotso grabs Buzz, lifting him in a smothering hug.

"First thing you gotta know about me... I'm a hugger!" He released Buzz, looks at the other Toys. "Oh, look at y'all! You been through a lot today, haven't you?

"Oh, it's been horrible!" exclaimed Mrs. Potato Head.

"Well, you're safe now. We're all cast-offs here - we been dumped, donated, yard-saled, second-handed, and just plain thrown out. But just you wait - you'll find being donated was the best thing that ever happened to ya!"

_I doubt that..._ Alphonse thought appearing to frown as he looked over at Edward.

Riku shrugged. _'We were thrown out by accident...'_ he thought as some of the toys shake his hand.

Both Woody and Ed scoff, but Rex steps up excitedly. "Mr. Lotso...? Do toys here get played with every day?"

Loto chuckled richly, "All day long. Five days a week."

"But what happens when the kids grow up?" Jesse asked, still having her reservations.

Lotso shook his head and stepped to a wall of day-care class photos. "Well, now, I'll tell ya - when the kids get old, new ones come in. When they get old, new ones replace them. You'll never be outgrown or neglected. Never abandoned or forgotten. No owners means no heartbreak."

The Toys were overjoyed. Even Woody was taken by this vision.

Jesse pumped a fist in the air and cheered, "Yeee-hawww..!"

Mrs. Potatohead hugged her husband in excitement, "It's a miracle!"

"Huh... I guess this is the perfect place for them," Sora said with a smile.

Alphonse nodded, "A toy's paradise."

"And you wanted us to stay at Andy's!" Mr. Potato Head said to Woody.

"Because we're Andy's toys!" Woody said, still protesting against all of this.

Kairi was overjoyed as well by this, forgetting what she and her friends really were here for.

Ed looked up at Lotso and blinked, feeling a slight shiver in his plush body. "Sora..." he whispered quietly to the other plush. "Is it me, or does something not feel right about that bear?"

Sora blinked and looked at Lotso. "Huh? I didn't notice. But now that you do mention it..." He shuddered as well.

Lotso put an arm around Woody. "So you got donated by this 'Andy', huh? Well, it's his loss, Sheriff! He can't hurt you no more."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa..." Woody began but Lotso cut him off.

"Now let's get you all settled in. Ken? Where is that boy? Ken...? New toys!"

All of a sudden a Ken doll appears in the window of a doll house. "Far out! Hey, hi, everybody!" he said then looked to Lotso. "Down in a jiff, Lotso!" he said as he rode down in an elevator and opens the door. On Ken, he wore slip-on shoes, double-pleated shorts, and an unbuttoned animal-print shirt that reveals his ripped abs. He addresses the Toys with an air of boundless self-regard. "So. Who's ready for Ken's Dream Tour?"

Ed shrugged away from the Ken doll in disgust. "On second that, he creeps me out more!" Ed said, wanting to barf at the girlyness of this male doll.

Greed tried not to laugh out loud. _'Hey! Hey, Ling! You think I'm bad? Look at the get-up this guy's wearing!'_ he said to the boy in his head.

_Ling blinked and howled in laughter, "I... I never said... HAHAHA!"_

Lotso put an arm around Ken and smiled, "Let's show our new friends where they'll be stayin'!"

"Let's not..." Alphonse muttered to himself with a sweat drop.

"Folks, if you wanna step right this-" he then pauses, seeing Barbie. She looks up at him. The sparks fly as the two approach each other as if destiny calls. "Hi! I'm Ken."

"Barbie," she said breathless. "Have we ever me-...?"

"Huh-uh...! I would've remembered!" he said as Barbie giggles. "Love your leg warmers."

"Nice ascot."

"Oh please..." Ed said, feeling like he wanted to vomit more as the other toys stared.

Lotso patted Ken on the back, breaking the love spell, "C'mon, Ken! Recess don't last forever!"

"Well I thought that was cute," Alphonse commented, wringing his hands together.

"Meh," Hamm shrugged, "They were made for each other, no surprise there."

"How do you know?"

"They're both from Mattel."

"Meaning?"

"The same toy company, ding-dong."

"Right on, Lotso! This way everyone!" Ken says, extending a gentlemanly arm as Barbie giggles and takes it.

Ed sighs as Ken and Lotso lead them to another room, looking up at his brother and Sora. "I feel like I'm bleeding... Is there any way you guys could uh...fix me...before I get..." he tried to force out the words that sounded really awkward to him. "...played with?" he said to Lotso and Ken.

Goofy looked down, seeing that Ed was trailing stuffing. "Now that you mention it, you have a pretty big rip in your side."

"I guess Ed still bleeds, even as a toy," Riku muttered, trying not to laugh. This caused Kairi to smack him across the head.

Lotso turned his attention to the leaking Edward. "Well aren't you in a state? Don't worry, we've got just the place." Lotso lead them past shelves of toy supplies. "Spare parts, super glue, and enough fresh batteries to choke a Hungry-Hungry Hippo." Lotso then flung open a utility closet, revealing a spa-like workshop in which smaller Toys fixed up bigger Toys -stitching rips, etc. The Toys gasped, impressed. "Think you're gettin' old? Well, stop your worryin'!"

"Ooh~ How exciting!" Ling exclaimed, momentarily taking his body back.

Sora nudged Woody in the side, "See? Everyone told you it was gonna be paradise, and you didn't believe a word!"

"Our repair spa will keep you stuffed, puffed, and lightly buffed!" Ken said as a few toys grabbed Ed's arms and pulled him over to a work station.

"H-Hey!" Ed yelled as he was pushed down on what looked like a make shift bed. "Ouch!" he yelled as one of the toys stuck a needle in his side after stuffing him with more cotton and began stitching away. Before he knew it, the hole was sealed shut.

"There! Good as new! You look spiffy!" Ken said, smiling.

"T-Thanks..." Ed muttered and waddled back to the rest of his group.

Woody looked to Sora and sighed. "I don't know... this just all seems too good to be true..." he muttered so his friends wouldn't hear.

As Ken lead the toys on, they enter the classroom. He then gestures toward his dream house. "And this, well, this is where I live - Ken's Dream House. It has a disco, it's got a dune buggy... And a whole room just for trying on clothes."

"You have everything!" Barbie exclaimed happily, batting her eyes at Ken.

Ling pat Edward on the back and laughed, "Good as new!"

"I'm sorry again, Ed," Alphonse bowed to his brother in embarrassment, "I'll try not to rip you again."

"Everything except someone to share it with," He looks down and walks off. Barbie sighs, about to faint.

Ed shrugged. "It's fine, Al... I didn't think I was that fragile," he muttered.

_'Haha! He was fragile as a human too! He just denied that fact!'_ Greed laughed from inside Ling's head.

_"Hey, we all have our weaknesses!"_ Ling thought back, a bit annoyed at Greed's cockiness.

Lotso reached a bathroom door at the end of the room. "You need anything at all, you just come talk to me. Here we are...!" He rapped the door with his cane. It was opened by a large baby doll, Big Baby, with a lazy, drooping eye. Big Baby cooed and peered out at the Toys. They stare up in wonder. Sora on the other hand, was extremely creeped out.

"Well, thank you, Big Baby. Why don't you come meet our new friends?" Lotso smiled, throwing an arm around Big Baby in Toy-solidarity. "Poor Baby! We were thrown out together, me n' him. Abandoned by the same owner!" He then led the Toys through a bathroom. "But we don't need owners here at Sunnyside! We own ourselves! We're masters of our own fate...! We control our own destiny!"

Mr. Potato Head slipped and fell, losing his parts.

"Uh, watch out for puddles..." Lotso lead the Toys into a new classroom. The Day Care  
Toys there were scruffier and more toddler-appropriate. "And here's where you folks'll be staying - the Caterpillar Room!" The Toys gazed up in awe. There was kid stuff everywhere: tiny tables and chairs, finger paintings, wood blocks, banners of the alphabet, wire cubby bins, etc. The whole beautiful, child-centric universe of day care.

Jesse was in awe, "Look at this place!"

Buzz whistled in response.

"Holy moly, guacamole!" exclaimed Hamm.

"Jackpot, baby!" Mr. Potato Head exclaimed.

"Whoa, puppy!" Slinky said in response.

"Wow!" Rex said last.

A Toy Train weaves through the room, blowing its Whistled. The Potato Heads look around in wonder.

Ed blinked and stared around the room. He wasn't as excited as the rest of the toys were. In fact, he wished he could get out of here.

Kairi's eyes however, sparkled. "So cute! I hope I get played with by a cute little girl!" she giggled.

"I'm going to try and pretend that this is all a dream and never happened," Ling muttered. _I'm a prince for Pete's sake..._

"How long's it been since y'all got played with?" Lotso asked them.

"It's been years!" exclaimed Jessie.

"Well, just you wait. In a few minutes that bell's gonna ring and you'll get the playtime you've been dreaming of."

"Play! Real play! I can't wait!"

"Now, if you'll excuse us, we best be headin' back. Welcome to Sunnyside, folks!" Lotso climbed back into the Tonka Truck. The Toys waved goodbye.

Before they leave, Barbie turned to Ken - an end-of-the-first-date moment. "Will I see you again?"

"Oh, I'll see you tonight. In my dreams," Ken said, taking her hands into his.

Riku rolled his eyes. "I don't know how much more of this I can take..." he muttered to the other toys.

"Tell me about it!" Edward muttered, crossing his arms.

Woody looked around and was bumped from behind. "What the-?' he said and looked down, seeing a Fisher Price Chatter Telephone. "Oh, hey there little fella..."

At the bathroom door, Lotso waits. "Ken...! Let's get a move on!"

Ken turned to Barbie and took her hands, "Barbie, come with me! Live in my Dream House! I know it's crazy! I know we've just met! Aw, heck - you don't know me from GI Joe. But when I look at you I feel like we were..."

"...Made for each other!" they cried together.

"Isn't that what Hamm said earlier?" Alphonse asked.

Ling shrugged, "Just let it go..."

The toys urge the two to go on. Barbie yells happily and runs off with Ken, leaving the new toys alone in the room. Through the window, kids are heard laughing and playing. The toys wander over to the playground door, listening.

"Sounds like kids to me," Goofy said, nodding.

"Ah, I wanna get played with! Why can't time go faster?" Rex said, wiggling with excitement.

Ed turned to Sora and shrugged, whispering over to the fellow keybearer. "What do you say we find the keyhole so we can get out of here as soon as possible?"

Sora nodded, "You said it."

"How many ya reckon are out there?" Jesse asked excitedly.

Mrs. Potatohead cooed, "Oh, they sound so sweet!"

_"Greed, you take over, I don't want to be a part of this..." Ling whimpered, letting his other half take over._

_'WHAT! Ling, you coward!'_ Greed yelled to his other half as he was now in control.

Woody looks at them, knowing he's fighting a losing battle. "Look, everyone, it's nice here, I admit. But we need to go home...!"

The toys look at each other and Jessie steps forward. "We can have a whole new life here, Woody. A chance to make kids happy again."

"Why don't you stay?" Slinky asked his friend.

"Yeah, Woody! Stay with us!" Rex replied.

"Come on, Woodster!" pleaded Hamm. The other toys joined in too.

"You'll get played with...!"

"Stay here!"

"You can make a new kid happy!"

Alphonse looked over at his brother in confusion. What were they supposed to do, stay and help the toys or seriously just get a move on? They did a lot in Notre Dame... maybe they could do the same for this world. That was their job... right?

"I can't! No, no! Guys, really, no!" Woody said, stepping back.

The other toys are taken aback. Woody struggles to remain calm. "I have a kid. You have a kid - Andy! And if he wants us at college, or in the attic, well, then our job is to be there for him! Now I'm going home! Anyone wants to join me is welcome! C'mon, Buzz!" he said and walks off, but Buzz stays put.

Ed looked to Sora. "This isn't really our business... Let's start searching around for any sign of the keyhole..." he whispered.

Sora nodded and the adventurers strayed away from the arguing toys. Alphonse seemed to relax a little, but they were still being watched by the toys already in the room.

**End chapter 19.**


	20. Chapter 20: Sunnyside Daycare part 2

**Here you guys go! Another chapter of Fullmetal Heart! Sorry it took so long, but Uzu-chan and I have been very busy. So enjoy!**

**Chapter 20: Sunnyside Daycare part 2**

"I have no idea where the first place to look would be," Sora shrugged.

"Then let's search every corner of this world," Donald said, "Top to bottom."

"This is just a hunch but..." Alphonse began, "Didn't seem like Lotso was hiding something from us? Why if we were put in the Butterfly room, he would have us transfer here to the Caterpillar room? It just doesn't make sense to me..."

Ed nodded. "There was definitely something fishy about that bear..." he said, also feeling uncomfortable as the other toys in the room where watching them.

Kairi watched as their new toy friends argued, Woody losing the battle and leaving alone. She then pulled her and her friends behind a trash bin to hide from the woman that just walked in looking for her daughter "Bonnie."

"We better hurry before she lets the kids back inside from recess," Riku muttered to the others.

They all nodded and split up, looking for anything that would be a sign to lead them to the keyhole. Ed summoned his keyblade for help, which now looked like a plastic piece to an action figure. "Ugh...this is going to be harder than when we found the keyhole in Notre Dame..." he muttered, climbing on top of a few crates. He would ask the other toys for help, but they just got here as well. Plus he felt that telling them they weren't really toys would ruin everything.

Greed scratched his head, standing on top of a stack of legos. "What exactly are we looking for again?" he asked Ling out loud.

_"Something about a keyhole? I don't even know." Ling sighed._

"Umm, you'll see when we find it," Alphonse sweat dropped, answering Greed's question, "It's a bit difficult to explain."

Sora smiled, "Just think of it as a way out of here."

"Oh, a way out of here? Well, then keyhole it is!" Greed said and made a stance, almost like he was King of the hill with all the smaller toys below the lego structure, looking up at him.

Once Woody left, the other toys sighed sadly, sad that their friend left, then looked up at Ed and the gang. "Hey, what are you guys doing?" Slinky asked, seeing that they were climbing on things as if looking for something.

"Oh, uh..." Riku said, stopping as if he was caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"We're just getting a better view of the place. Checkin' everything out, y'know?" Goofy said, covering for the group.

"Oh no..." Alphonse whimpered, "They're lining up." And by 'they', he meant the kids.

Buzz tried to get a view for himself. "How many?

"There must be dozens!" Hamm exclaimed with glee.

Sora looked at Edward in panic. Their search would have to wait... their worst fears were about to be realized...

"Crap!" Ed said, jumping down from the crates. "Their recess is over already?" he asked, looking for a place to hide. He then realized there was no place to hide as all the other toys in the room took the good hiding places. "Wait a minute... Something's not right..."

"Oh...I can hardly wait!" Rex said, jumping for joy.

The toys then all scramble into play position. Ed and the gang looked at each other and shrugged, doing the same. Ed jumped up on a kiddie chair and sat there limp like a plushie would, Greed stayed where he was and positioned himself to make him look cool, Kairi did the same as Ed, but sat more straight and smiling. Goofy just took his place next to Donald on the floor.

"At last! I'm going to get played with!" Rex said, spreading his arms as he ran toward the playground door.

"Uh, Rex...?" Buzz said, concerned. Something didn't feel right...

"Come to Papa!"

BOOM! The door bursts open, swatting Rex across the room. A horde of squealing, hyped-up toddlers enter. The Toys go limp and Buzz closes his helmet to brace himself. The toddlers descend on the Toys with shrieks of delight. Toys are snatched up by eager, excited hands:

A Boy and Girl stretch Slinky until his coil goes haywire.

A Boy smashes the Toy Train into a wall.

A Girl picks up Buzz, bringing him straight to her mouth.

A Girl dips Jessie's hair in paint and uses her as a brush.

A Boy runs across the room, with Bullseye on top of a Corn Popper toy. Bullseye slides off, gets caught in its wheels.

Hamm is bathed in glue... then coated in green glitter.

A Girl "rides" Rex, snapping his tail off.

The Aliens are squashed as a Boy sits on them.

A Boy picks up Mr. Potato Head's eye, shoves it up his nose.

As for Ed and the others? Well...

Ling/Greed's head was immediately popped into a little girl's mouth.

Alphonse was disassembled.

Sora and Edward turned into plush footballs, being thrown and kicked around.

Finger paint was splattered all over Kairi and her dress.

Riku? He was thrown against a window which had to have hurt.

And finally, Goofy and Donald were also kicked around: Goofy's squeaker nearly popping out and one of Donald's wheels popping off.

This continued until the kids went home...

Riku groaned and sat up a little, watching the kids bash and beat his friends across the room. He then looks out the window, seeing kids of about 4 or 5 in the Butterfly room, playing with Lotso and the other toys lovingly and with care. Riku frowns, wondering why it's heaven in there and hell in here. Suddenly, a hand grabs him by the foot and pulls him back into the fray.

~~~

Later that day, the toys become reanimated and groan, wounded from the day of "playtime."

"Oh...I got a kink in my slink..." Slinky said, trying to untangle himself.

Rex walks by with a missing tail. "My tail! Where's my tail!"

Ed sat up, seeing that the rip that was in his side earlier was back. "Dammit, what the hell? I just got this fixed!" he growled, frustrated.

"Now where did a toy like you learn that kind of language?" Hamm snorted as he pulled his cork. Detritus spilled out. He strained and POP - a Weeble pops out.

Buzz straightened up, back cracking. "I don't recall play time being quite that strenuous."

"Neither do I..." Sora grumbled, trying to pick himself up off the floor, "I can't wait to get out of here."

"Has anyone seen my left arm?" Alphonse called, trying to pick his pieces up together. "Ooh... what a horrible day..."

Ed thought for a moment. "Uh... the kid I use to belong to had bad parents..." he mumbled to Hamm and rolled his eyes, limping over to his brother. "I think I see it under the heater, Al... Better get it before it melts."

"MY ARM!" Alphonse cried, diving under the heater.

"Hey!" Sora called after him, "Don't you get lost under there!"

"GAH! I HATE KIDS!" Greed yelled, wiping the slime from his face. "Ling, you take over next time! I ain't taking the beating for you just because I have an ultimate shield!"

_Ling scoffed, "Me! But you just told me that because of your shield you're better suited for the abuse! Don't you start!"_

Greed snorted at Ling. _'Sorry, but I don't do kids! It's not part of my contract.'_

Meanwhile, the Potato Heads were trying to figure out which piece belonged to who. "Where's my nose... Here's your arm... Honey, the moustache...?" "Here it is... Gimme that, that's mine..."

Rex pulled his tail from a peg board and sighed. "Andy never played with us like that..."

Jessie peeled a decal off Bullseye's nose. "We have to make the best of it."

"But these toddlers! They don't know how to play with us!" Mr. Potatohead growled.

"They're too young!"

"They're sticky!"

"We should be in the Butterfly Room! With the big kids!"

"That's right!"

"You said it!"

Buzz calmed down the clamor by waving his hands, "We'll get this straightened out - I'll go talk to Lotso about moving us to the other room." He clambered up a table, leaps to the bathroom door knob, but it didn't move. "Blast. Try that one!"

Jessie leapt to grab the hallway door latch. "It's locked!"

At the playground door, Slinky tests the knob. "Same here!"

"Great...we're trapped in here," Riku said and sighed, working out his shoulder from the abuse.

"Oh...my poor dress..." Kairi said, sighing as she tried to wipe some of the paint off. No use.

"So what are we suppose to do now?" Ed asked, finding some tape to keep his hole shut for the time being.

Buzz drops down, points upward. "Try the windows."

Hamm, on the sill, examines a window lock. "Eh, negatory. It's a Fenster-Schneckler 380. Finest childproof lock in the world."

"We're trapped!" cried Mrs. Potatohead.

"Wait!" Buzz said, taking command again, "Did anyone notice the transom?"

Sora tilted his head to the side, "What's a transom, Buzz?"

"It's that window above the door," Alphonse said, after retrieving his arm. He popped it back in and rotated it 360 degrees until it felt alright.

"Oh great! How do we get up there?" Mr. Potato Head said, looking up at the transom.

"It's not like there's anything around for us to climb up there..." Kairi said, frowning.

Buzz narrowed his eyes, thinking. Sora blinked and then looked over to what Buzz was looking at.

"You have _got_ to be kidding me..."

-

The Toys held a Fisher Price Corn Popper. Buzz, a loop of red yarn wrapped across his chest, stood at the rear.

"All right, everyone! On three! One... Two..."

"Three!" Jesse cried. They took off, pushing the popper at top speed. "Let go!"

The Toys drop away, leaving Buzz to jump onto the handle. The popper struck an upturned table, lofting Buzz in the air. He grabbed a string that ran across the room, using it like a zip-line. As he reached the end, Buzz leapt off, expanding his wings and flied towards a display of hanging paper-mache caterpillars, using their legs to swing from one to another. On the ground, Hamm made a signal.

"Jump!"

Bullseye and Rex jumped off a shelf, catapulting a broom forward. Buzz bounced off the broom, towards the transom. He flipped, twisted, and landed - safely. The Toys rejoiced.

Alphonse blinked, "I wish I could do that..."

"Damn... Guy's got skills. I could only do that if I had my alchemy..." Ed muttered, looking up at Buzz.

"He did it!" Rex rejoiced.

"Way to go, Buzz!" Kairi cheered.

Buzz casted part of his yarn down to the Toys and they ran and grabbed it. Buzz turned to the hallway and stops.

"What's he listening to?" Sora asked, only to be shushed by Alphonse.

"Making sure the cost is clear, duh!"

Buzz then rappelled down and the string on the other end went limp.

_"So now what do we do... wait?" Ling asked._

Greed shrugged. _'I guess so...'_ he thought then sighed. "Man, I hate waiting. I feel like I'm in a prison where they torture their victims."

"I thought that's what this place is..." Ed muttered, plopping down on the floor and sighed.

"Don't worry, Buzz will talk to Lotso and everything will be better," Slinky said, reassuring them.

Riku crossed his arms and looked around. "Hmmm..."

"What's up, Riku?" Kairi asked.

"You know, I'm beginning to think the keyhole's not in here. It might be in the butterfly room," he whispered.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that..." Sora sighed.

Alphonse lowered his head, "And we can't seal it until Lotso lets us out. Dang Ed, the time I wish I had your destructive alchemy..."

_"I never thought it was destructive," Ling thought aloud, "I just thought it was... um... what's the word I'm looking for...?"_

'_Creative?'_ Greed asked and snickered.

"I guess all we do now is wait for Buzz to return..." Kairi said and sighed.

_'Why do I have this feeling Buzz's talk with Lotso is not going to go well?'_ Riku thought, furrowing his brow.

The Toys sat near the door. Suddenly, the echo of Buzz's scream is heard. They turn.

"What was that?" Asked Jesse in worry.

Hamm looked up, "Sounds like it came from the hall!"

"I'll see what it was!" said Mrs. Potatohead. She marched to the door and plucked out her remaining eye. She held it under the door, sweeping it back and forth. The Toys gather around her.

"Whaddaya see? Anything...?"

"Nah, just a dark hallway and... Wait, wait...! I see Andy!"

The other Toys look at each other, disbelieving.

"What?"

"Huh? What's going on?" Alphonse asked.

"That's impossible!" Her husband disputed.

"No, I really see him! In his room! My other eye! The one I left behind!" She concentrates fiercely.  
"This is so weird...! He's packing up... Uh-oh. Oh, here comes Buster. Outta the way! Get away! Okay, Andy's in the hall. He's looking in the attic. Wait, there's Mom. Why is he so upset? Oh, no! Oh, this is terrible!" Mrs. Potatohead put her eye back in, looks at the others. "He's looking for us! Andy's looking for us!"

"He's looking for us?" Jesse exclaimed.

"I knew they weren't just thrown away!" Alphonse said excitedly.

"So, Andy does want us! I knew it! I just knew it!" Rex said, picking up one of the aliens and danced with it happily.

"I think he did mean to put us in the attic!" Mrs. Potato Head said sadly.

"Well, then Woody was telling the truth!" Slinky said to the others.

"Holy cow!"

"And you didn't believe him!" Hamm accused Mr. Potatohead.

"Hey, you didn't believe him first!"

Jessie stood - fire in her eyes. "Guys, we gotta... We gotta go home!"

CREAK The door opened and light spilled in. The Toys turn to see Lotso sauntering in with his Gang.

"Lotso...!"

"How're y'all doin' this fine evening?"

"Oh, thank heavens!" exclaimed Alphonse with a sigh of relief.

Jessie rushes to him. The others follow. "Have you seen Buzz?" she asked.

"There's been a mistake! We have to go!" cried Mrs. Potatohead.

Lotso was taken aback, "Go? Why, you just got here! In the nick of time, too! We were runnin' low on volunteers for the Little Ones! They just love new Toys, now don't they?"

"Love? We've been chewed! Kicked! Drooled on!" Mr. Potato Head said defensively.

"Just look at my pocketbook!" Mrs. Potato Head said, holding up red purse.

"And my stitching tore open again! I just got this fixed!" Ed said, pointing to the tape on his side.

"Wouldn't be the first time you re-tore your stitching open, pipsqueak," Greed said, smirking.

"Shut up!"

Lotso bent down, amused. "Well, here's the thing, Sweet Potato- you ain't leavin' Sunnyside."

"Sweet Potato? Who do you think you're talking to? I have over thirty accessories and I deserve more respec-" Abruptly, Lotso yanked her mouth off. Everyone is shocked.

"Ahh...! That's better!"

Lotso's Henchmen snickered.

Mr. Potatohead became furious, "Hey! No one takes my wife's mouth! Except me! Give it back, you furry air freshener!" He stepped up to retrieve the mouth, but Lotso held it above him. He finally grabbed it.

Jessie headed for the door. "C'mon, guys - we're going home."

"Whoa, Missy! You're not going anywhere."

"Oh, yeah? And who's gonna stop us?" Jessie almost collided with a blank-faced Buzz, stepping from the shadows. Jessie and the others are thrilled to see him.

"Buzz! Aren't we glad to see you! C'mon, we're getting out of here!" Kairi said.

"Buzz! You're back!" Rex yells, arms open as he runs toward him to greet him. Buzz suddenly makes a Kung-Fu noise and strikes a pose. "Buzz...?"

"Um...Rex? I don't think Buzz is feeling very well..." Ed said, getting a bad feeling from Buzz's strange action.

WHAM! Buzz tackles Rex, slamming him to the floor.

"Hey!" exclaimed Sora, "That's not very nice!"

Buzz leapt and kicked, spining the Toys around, and knocked their legs from under them.

Alphonse protested in vain, "Buzz!"

The Toys fell to the floor, stunned. Buzz stood atop them and saluted Lotso. "Prisoners disabled, Commander Lotso!"

"Buzz?" Jesse asked pitifully, "What are you doing...?"

"Silence, minions of Zurg! You're in the custody of the Galactic Alliance!"

"Zurg...?" Donald asked.

_"Galactic Alliance...?" Ling scratched his head._

Hamm understood what was going on now, "Huh-boy...!"

Lotso patted Buzz on the back. "Good work, Lightyear. Now lock 'em up!"

"Yes, sir!"

Buzz and Lotso's Gang herd the Toys into the room's wire-mesh cubbies. Ed fights back taking out Chunk and Sparks. Stretch grabs him from behind and puts him in a wire cubby and shuts it. "Where do you think you're going?" Stratch asks and Ed snarls at her.

"What just happened?" Greed asked in disbelief. "I thought that guy was on our side?"

Jessie reached through the cubby wire to Buzz's shoulder. "Buzz...? We're your friends!"

He swatted her hand away. "Spare me your lies, Temptress! Your Emperor is defeated. And I'm immune to your... Bewitching good looks." He turned, ramrod straight, and walked off.

Big Baby lifted Mrs. Potato Head to a cubby, but Mr. Potato Head interceded. "Hey, Mongo! Keep your paws off my wife!"

Big Baby dropped Mrs. Potato Head in the cubby, turned and picked up Mr. Potato Head.

"Hey, what are you doing? Let go of me you drooling doofus!"

"Wait!" Lotso stepped in and held up his hand. "I think this Potato needs to learn himself some manners! Take him to The Box."

Sora made a loud gulping sound, "Th-The Box? What's that?"

Big Baby, understanding, hoisted Mr. Potato Head up and toddled off.

"Where're you taking me? Put me down, you moron! Bad baby! Bad baby!"

Barbie then entered the room, confused. Seeing her beau, she pleads to him, "Ken...? What's going on?"

"Barbie...! I told you to wait in the Dream House!" Ken said nervously, putting an arm around her and began leading her out.

"What are you doing to my friends?" she asked, looking over her shoulder to see Sparks the Robot tossing an alien into a cubby. Twitch then slams it shut. "Hmph!" she said and slaps Ken's arm away and turns to join the Toys in solidarity. Ken tries to grab her.

"Wait, Barbie!"

"Don't touch me! We're through!" she said and walks off. Ken is devastated. Barbie then turns back to Ken and walks up to him as he smiles. "And gimme my scarf back!" she yelled, yanking the ascot of his neck.

"Oww!"

Barbie is then slammed in a cubby. Kairi looks over at her and sighs. "Thanks for sticking up for us..."

"I may be blonde, but I'm not dumb," Barbie smiled back weakly, "I know what loyalty is."

"Lightyear!" Called Lotso, "Explain our overnight accommodations."

"Yes, sir!" Buzz strode past the Toys, each trapped in a cubby. "Prisoners sleep in their cells! Any Prisoner caught outside their cell spends the night in The Box! Roll call at dusk and dawn! Any Prisoner misses roll call spends the night in The Box! Prisoners do not speak unless spoken to! Any Prisoner talks back spends the night..."

Sora groaned, "...In The Box. We get it!"

Buzz whipped around, but Lotso put a calming hand on him. "At ease, soldier! They're neutralized! But remember: They'll say anything to make you doubt yourself!"

"Don't worry, Commander! Any doubt I had got pounded out of me at the Academy!"

Alphonse looked over at Ed and whispered, "He's a better soldier than the ones in our military!"

Lotso then climbed on a podium of ABC blocks - jovial and relaxed. "Listen up, folks! We got a way of doing things here at Sunnyside! If you start at the bottom, pay your dues... Life here can be a dream come true! But if you break our rules, step outta line, try to check out early? Well... You're just hurtin' yourselves." He then took out Woody's hat and tossed, sliding across the floor to Jessie's cubby. The Toys gasp in horror.

"Woody...!" she cried, "What'd you do to him?"

Lotso sat back in his truck bed and tapped his cane. "Y'all get a good night's rest! You got a full day of play time tomorrow." Lotso chuckled as he and his cronies drove off. Buzz remained behind, standing guard over the "cell block". The Toys grasp the bars of their cubbies - the horrible truth of their situation hitting home.

**End of chapter 20. Please review!**


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